Centennial Anniversary 



,...oL... 



Seneca County 



ind 



Auxiliary Papers 



published by the 



Seneca Falls Historical Society 



2d Annual, 1904 



XJoAit- 



^^7 



Gift 

The Society 

18 C %-- 



Officers. 

Harrison Chamberlain , _ President 

E. William Mbdden Vice-President 

A. W. GoLDER Secretary and Treasurer 



Harrison Chamberlain, 
Hermon A. C^fmer, 
Sheldron F. Frazier, 



Trustees. 

E. William Medden, 

Belle Teller, 

H. Grant Person, 



Albert W. Golder, 
Janet Cowing, 
Lillias R. Sanford. 



Addison, E W 
Addison, Mrs E W 
Beach, Mrs B F 
Broadway, Rev A W 
Beck, Cora 
Cary, Mrs L H 
Chamberlain, H 
Clarke, Rev W B 
Clarke, Jessie 
Cowing, Janet 
Carmer, H A 
Carmer, Mrs H A 
Cowing, Mrs Adaline 
Crosby, Mrs May 
Drake, Linda F 
Frazier, Rev S F 
Gay, A S 
Gay, Mrs A S 
Golder, A W 



Merribers. 

Henion, Anna 
Haney, Mrs A P 
Hopkins, Jessie 
Holmes, Edith 
Kibbey, Mrs S 
Linehart, Mrs H 
Lawless, Mrs 
Maier, Emma 
Medden, E Wm 
Medden, Mrs E Wm 
O'Connell, Anna L 
Pollard, Charlotte 
Pollard, W J 
Pollard, Mrs W J 
Person, Rev H G 
Sanford, L G 
Sanford, Mrs L R 
Silsby, Mrs M R 
Stahl, Ida May 



Schoonmaker, Dr Hubert 
Schoonmaker, Mrs Hubert 
Simson, Nellie 
Simson, Frances 
Taylor, Rev A W 
Taylor, Mrs A W 
Teller, Mrs. A M 
Teller, Claribel 
Trautman, M Edith 
Trautman, Mrs P 
Teller, Fred 
Vreeland, Addie May 
Vreeland, Ora 
Wetmore, Mrs. S Adaline 
Wetmore, Edith 
Waldorf, Dr H S 
Wickes, Jennie 
Williams, Grace F 
Wiiliams, Mrs 



University of tu State of Dew Vork 



Chiarter of 

Seneca Tails l)l$torical Society 



Whereas a petition for incorporation by the University has been duly 
received containing satisfactory statements under oath as to the objects, plans, 
property and provisions for maintenance of the proposed corporation 

Therefore being satisfied that all requirements prescribed by law or 
University ordinance for such an Asssociation have been fully met and that 
public interests justify such action, the regents by virtue of the authority 
conferred on them by law hereby incorporate 

Harrison Chamberlain, E. William Medden, Albert W. Golder, 

Hermon A. Carmer, Belle Teller, Janet Cowing, 

Sheldron F. Frazier, H. Grant Person, Lillias R. Sanford. 

and their successors in office under the corporate name of Seneca Falls His 
torical Society. 

This Corporation shall be located at Seneca Falls, Seneca County, New 
York. 

Its first trustees shall be the nine incorporators above named 
Its object shall be the study of local and general history and the acquire- 
ment and preservation of papers and other articles of local historical interest 
and the territory of its principal work shall be Seneca County. 

In witness whereof the Regents grant this charter 
No 1669 under seal of the University, at the Cap- 
[seal] itol in Albany, June 27, 1904. 

A. S. DRAPER, 
Recorded and took effect 3:45 p. m , June 27, 1904 Com. of Education 



B 



Index 



Note — Papers read before the Society upon the occasion of the centennial 
celebration of the formation of Seneca County will appear by themselves in 
index No. i. 

Additional papers read before the scciety during the past year wiil appear 
in index No. 2 

NTo, 1 

Introductory Remarks by the President of the Societ3^ Harrison Cham- 
lain I 

Historical Address — Seneca County. Hon. Ded^ich Willers 3 

Preservation of Private and Public Papers. Dr William A. Macy 24 

Judiciary of Seneca County Hon. John E Richardson 27 

Reformed Churches of Seneca County Rev. E. B. VanArsdale 18 

Seneca County in the War of 181 2. Rev. Pulaski E Smith ...59 

No. 2 

Officers and List of Members of Society A 

Certificate of Incorporation, Seneca Falls Historical Societ}'^ B 

Our Predecessors in Seneca County — The Sachem Ojagecht and Cayuga In- 
dians. Fred Teller 35 

The Seneca Falls Fire Department. Maj. Pryce W. Bailey 46 

Samuel Harris and his Son, John Harris. Fred Teller 62 

The First Congregational Church. Edwin Medden 65 

The Streets of Seneca Falls. Miss Janet Cowing 66 

The First Baptist Church. Rev. S. M. Newland 72 



Centennial Anniversary of Seneca 

County. 



The Centennial Anniversary of the 
formation of Seneca County was ob- 
served by the Seneca Falls Historical 
Society at a meeting in the Wesleyan 
jNtethodist church on Monday evening, 
March 21st, 1904. Harrison Chamber- 
lain, president of the Society, presided 
and made the following address, after 
which he read Hon. Diedrich Willers 
historical sketch of the formation of 
the county: 
ADDRESS BY HARRISON CHAMBERLAIN. 

To bnild up a commonwealth is a 
noble endeavor. To lay the founda- 
tions deep and strong, so joining com- 
rautiities and counties together that 
the structure will be harmonious and 
serve the public good is a task so patri- 
otic, wise and grand that it confers on 
all taking a part in it an imperishable 
glory. 

The formation of Seneca county was 
in line of State-building, of readjust 
ing conditions the better to meet the 
nindsof an increasing population. And 
how well this adjustment was made is 
evidenced by the fact that we are as- 
sembled here to-day to commemorate 
its centennial anniversary, and draw 
inspiration from the lives of those who 
wrought it. 

I want to speak for a few moments 
of the men of 1804. On this occasion 
they deserve our meed of praise. They 
were of a sturdy, heroic race, coming 
here, infiuenced by not the Spanish 
gieed for gain, not to ravage the coun- 
try of its wealth and leave it despoiled 
and barren. Rather they came to give 
of themselves, to build up homes, to 



cultivate the soil and utilize the forests 
and enrich the land by their skill and 
energy. They were builders of settle- 
ments, able to conceive and execute 
great enterprises, shrinking from no 
hardships and fearing no dangers. 
Simple in habits and wanting maybe 
the social polish of lo-day they pos- 
sessed elements that imparted to them 
strong personality. They stood fore- 
most in their place, impressing those 
about them with their strong, manly 
qualities. They were looked up to and 
their opinions went unquestioned; their 
advice was sought and confidently fol- 
lowed. Exact in their ideas of life 
their conceptions of duty were as pre- 
cise as their practice of it was rigid 
and severe. The home had its rules 
and though these were strict and un- 
yielding they were cheerfully complied 
with. In social and business relations 
tiiere was a like preciseness of upright- 
ness and integrity expected and de- 
manded of all. Mingling with and 
softening these features was a kind 
and generou.s disposition. It would be 
difficult to find examples of kind and 
unselfish deeds to match the generous 
and ready service that the early settler 
was quick to extend to his neighbor. 
If one were in distress for food the fact 
was known and the best of the most 
fortunate was poured out. If a house 
or barn were to be raised the neigh- 
bors laid aside their work and came 
to the raising. If the hay or grain 
were to be cut and garnered and the 
farmer for any reason was unable to do 
it those in the vicinity came generous- 



ly to his assistance. Everyone felt in 
close touch with his neighbor, though 
miles might separate their homes, felt 
a keen sense of dependence and was 
moved by a common sympathy that 
drew families together and created a 
common brotherhood. 

The men of 1804 were of strong con- 
viction and purpose. Indeed there 
was no place in the conditions of life 
for the weakling and vacillating. In 
the mode of training the young, consti- 
tutional defects were largely elimi- 
nated. The tasks im.posed created 
strong bodies and hardened muscle, 
the responsibility imparted confidence 
and courage, nourished a strong mental 
fibre f-nd fitted the young to take their 
station in life. In this regimen there 
was a Spartan spirit, seeking the best 
and strongest in character. And as 
you read of the men of 1804 in this 
light yoTi see in the circumstances sur- 
rounding them the forces of denial and 
sacrifice that made them strong of 
mind and will and enabled them to 
achieve great deeds. 

In the distant view there is a beauty 
that is apt to disappear upon closer ap- 
proach. Are we ascribing virtues to 
the men of 1804 that they did not pos- 
sess? Have their deeds by an inverse 
rule enlarged as we recede from them? 
We think not. The judgement of his- 
tory has confirmed their worth. Faults 



they had, but virtues greater and more 
enduring. In their veins flowed the 
blood of the Puritan, of the Dutch and 
Huguenot, a strain of the most aggres- 
sive in thought and action, imbued 
with a love for freedom and erapha.sized 
by an ancestry that had battled for 
more than two centuries for conscience 
and liberty. Here they came from 
the fields of New England, from Man- 
hattan island and the Keystone Stale, 
drawn not more by our fertile soils 
than by the liberal policy of the State 
that offered settlers the greatest free- 
dom and material advantages. Here 
was the first West; here the first field 
of action and enterprise; here was a 
hbeity associated with the finest 0{)- 
port unity of acquiring an ample and 
independent fortune. Here they lived 
and toiled; here they planted free in- 
stitutions and laid the foundation of a 
conunonwealth that in three genera- 
ti<>us has mii.de the State of New York 
rank the first in the Union. 

Men of 1804! We pay you honor! 
We wreath a garland for you. 

•'As we walk to day the halls of story, 
Mid pictures of the olden time, 
And voices, from an ancient glory, 
That charm us like a silver chime, 

The old and new join loving hands. 
The past hefore the present stands; 
The ages give each other greeting. 

And years recal! their old renown, 
Their deeds of chivalry repeating. 
That won for them their golden crown." 



Seneoa County. 



An Historscal Address by Hon. Diedrich Willers of Varick, N. Y. 



"Our Father's God. from out wbosf' hand, 
Th« centuries fall like >?raiiis of sand, 
We meet to-day, uniled, free. 
And loyal to our land and Thee, 
To thsnk Tht-e for the era done. 
And trust Thee for the opening one." 

Mr. Prf.sident, Ladies and Gentle- 
men: — We havo fissenibl«d here (uncJer 
the auspices of the Seueca Fall.s His- 
torical society) to cotnmeMiorate the 
one hundredth atmiversary of the olii- 
cial organization of the county of Sene- 
ca frotu territory of Cayuf^a county, 
to take a retrospective survey of the 
century past, and to seek therefrom, 
lessons for guidance in the future. 

The consideration of a subject so 
vast and far reaching as this hi^?to^ical 
review, covering an entire century, 
within the time allotted to roe, calls 
for ouly a general statement and avoid- 
ing of detail relating to the several 
towns. 

Tlie first white men to penetiate the 
wilderness region, covered by this 
county, were missionaries, pr(tnipted 
b3 no sordid motives, but solely with 
self-sacrificing zeal, to labor for the 
spiritual welfare of the ItuJians. Of 
these, the earliest were Jesuit mission- 
aries, who in the period 1051) to 1G84 
established mission stations among the 
Cayuga nation of Indians — one called 
St. Stephen at the Indian village (Tio- 
hero) situate on the east side of C'ay- 
uga outlet (Seneca liver), a short dis- 
tance from the north end of (Jayuga 
lake, and another one at St. Rene 
(Onontare), near the present villnge of 
Savannah, in the bounds of the old 
town of tJalen, and near the ninth line 
of the present county of Seneca. The 
ministrations of these missionaries ex- 
tended also to the Indians residing on 
both sides of Cayuga lake and to the 
Seneca tribe of Indians furth(M west. 

The dfUdted iMoravian missionaries, 
Bishop CammerliolT and I»ev. David 
Zeisberger, visited the Onondngas and 
also the Cayugas at the principal town 
of the latter, near Union Springs, on 
he east side of Cayuga lake, which 



they crossed and then passed on foot 
over the territory of this county iu 
1750, u|)on a spiritual mission to the 
Seneca Indians — returning by the same 
route after a short absence. Rev. 
Samuel Kirkland, who served as a mis- 
sionary to the Seneca Indians at Kana- 
desega (near Geneva) in 1765 66, pass- 
ed up Seneca river in a batteaux, across 
this county. In his ministrations to 
the Senecas he sometimes also visited 
the east side of Seneca lake. 

A few traders with the Indians were 
also early visitors between the Cayuga 
and Seneca lakes prior to the American 
revolution. The military expedition 
of General John Sullivan, iu 1779, dur- 
ini; a trying period of the Revolution- 
ary war, to chastise the hostile Indians 
of Western New York, proved to be of 
great importance to this locality. We 
need not recount in detail the onward 
march of the expedition, or its several 
movements from Easton, Pennsylvania. 

Leaving Elmira (Kanawaholla) after 
a ilecisive V>attle with the Indians, the 
army reached the east side of Seneca 
lake, in the present town of Hector, 
September 3d, and continued to march 
northward, destroying the Indian vil- 
lage of Kendaia September 5th, and 
rescuing Luke Svvetlainl, who had re- 
sided there a year as an Indian captive, 
('ontinuing its march, the command 
reached and forded the outlet of Seneca 
lake at its northeast corner and arrived 
at Kanade.sega (near Geneva) on the 
7th of Septembei. 'i'he expedition then 
advanced through the Seneca Indian 
territory to the Genesee river, carrying 
destruction iu its path, and returund to 
Geneva by Septeml)er 19th The main 
arniy began its return inarch south- 
ward, Sei'teinljer 20lh, upon the east 
side of Seneca lake. On the same day 
detachments under Col. William Butler 
and Col. Peter tJansevoort maiched 
eastward on the north side of Seneca 
river, completing the destruction of 
the Indian village of Skoiyase, upou 



the site of the present village of Water- 
loo (which had already been visited 
and partly destroyed on September 8th 
by a detachment under command of 
Col. John Harper), and encamped 
there for the night. Resuming? their 
march on the next day, the detach- 
ments marched across the locality of 
the present town of Seneca Falls,to the 
outlet of Cayuga lake, a short distance 
north from the lake and near the Indian 
village of Tiobero (St. Stephen) on the 
east side. Fording the outlet, the com 
mand of Col. Gausevoort procee(3ed to 
Albany and Col. Butler marched up 
the east shore of Cayuga lake, de- 
stroying several Indian villages and 
pioceeding to Elmira, rejoined the 
main army near there, on September 
28th. 

On September 21st, Col. Henry Dear- 
born with a detachment of 200 men, 
after leaving the main army, marched 
across Fayette to Ciiyuga lake and de- 
stroyed three Indian villages on the 
west shore of Cayuga lake, near Ca- 
noga, and proceeded south along the 
west shore, destroying several addi- 
tional villages and rejoined the main 
array near Elmira, on September 26th. 

The chastisement of the hostile In- 
dians was indeed severe, but paved the 
way to peace and to the relinquish- 
ment of their lands and their occupa- 
tion by early settlers. 

General Sullivan and his army were 
much surprised to find on all sides evi- 
dences of great fertility of soil and 
beauty of location, in the lake region o( 
Western New York, in which are found 
the "Finger lakes" so called. 

In their deva.stating march through 
the Indian country large quantities of 
corn, beans, m'^lons, etc., were either 
consumed or destroyed; also an abund- 
ance of apples, plums and peaches. 

The soldiers on their return home, 
gave glowing accounts of the "Lake 
region," which soon after became 
known as the "Genesee country," and 
some of the pioneer settlers of this 
county were soldiers who had marched 
with the army across this locality in 
1779. 

Elkanah Watson of Albany, N. Y , 
who was interested in lands in this 
locality, and who made a trip here in 
September, 1791, in writing of the 
Lake country, said: "The map of the 



world does not exhibit, in any other 
country, two lakes equal in magnitude 
to the Seneca and Cayuga, which are 
so singularly and happily situated. 
What a theme for poets, painters, 
philosophers and travelers, for the last 
two thousand years, had they been 
found in Italy! In general, the coun- 
try lying between these lieauliful 
lakes, rises gradually in symmetry froin 
tlie opposite shores toward the center, 
producing a pleasing effect. Whenever 
It reaches a cultivated state, by the 
vigoroui^ arm of freemen, it will become 
the 'Paradise of America.' " The poet, 
James G. Percival, has written of the 
beauties of Seneca lake, and a member 
of your Historical society, has written a 
"Sonnet to Lake Cayuga." 

Our narrative of events cannot, how- 
ever, be confined to the exact limits of 
a century, but it must relate back to 
the first permanent settlements in this 
county, fifteen to heventeeu years prior 
to its official organization. 

It is indeed fitting that our meeting 
to-night should be held in the town 
in which the fir.«t location and the first 
settlement in this county were made in 
1787. 

When this first location was made, our 
territory was still a part of Montgom- 
ery county, and then passing through 
three changes in a decade, the county 
of Herkimtr followed in 1791, Onon- 
diiga in 1794, and then our immediate 
parent — Cayuga county — -was organ- 
ized in i^- 1799, a county which still 
retained a large area. 

The po.sition of Seneca county, as 
will be seen upon the State map, is a 
peculiar one — the lakes, Seneca and 
Cayuga, bordering its west and east 
shores, with the Seneca river running 
across the county from lake to lake, 
forms a part of it, into a peninsular 
shape. 

The county seat of Cayugu county 
for a number of years after 1799 
was somewhat fluctuating, but in order 
to reach either, Cayuga village, on the 
east shore of Cayuga lake, or Aurora, 
on the same side, in which villages 
the county bu.-^iuess was transacted, 
the waters of Cayuga lake must be 
crossed, and although, after 1800, the 
Cayuga bridge, near the north end of 
the lake, one mile and eight rods in 
length, connected the present territory 



of Seneca county with Cayuga village, 
the village of Aurora CDiild only 1)6 
reached by siiiiill boats propelled by 
oitrsni^n or i>y suiail s-iilinfj vessels, or, 
indeed, liy a circuilotisuvtirland rcnite. 

The ditBcult comniuuieatiou with 
Cayuga county, with county .seat rival- 
ries find the auibition of "local states 
men," were doubtless prominent causes 
for the organization of the county of 
Seneca. When the question of the for- 
mation of a new county was first 
agitated in 1802 seveial projects were 
discussed. One of these was for a 
division of Cayuga county e;ist and 
wt^st, by a line commencing at Seneca 
lake and running east on the line be- 
tween Romulus and Ovid, crossing 
Ca\ uga lake and the military town- 
ships of Scipio and Sempronins, to the 
county of Onondaga. The territory 
north of this line and continuing the 
entire width of Cayuga county to Lake 
Ontario, to constitute one county 
(doubtless to remain as Cayuga coun- 
ty), and that part of the territory of 
Cayuga county as then cotistituteil, 
lying south of thn al)ove line to consti- 
tute another couuty, probably the new 
one. It is said, that had Cayuga coun- 
ty been divided by an east and west 
line as above, that the county seat of 
the north county would have t)eeri es- 
tablished at Cayuga bridge and of the 
south county at Ithaca, in the town of 
Ulysses. 

A second project was for a north and 
south division, substantially trje same 
as the one adopted by the Legislature in 
1804 in the formation of Seneca county. 

Still another project is indicated in a 
petition presented to the Assembly by 
William Powell and others of Ontario 
county, praying that a part of Ontario 
county and a part of Cayuga county be 
formed into a new county. The As- 
sembly Journal does not show the pre- 
ci.se plan, but it probably contemplated 
the erection of a new county by a 
north and south division of Cayuga, 
and the annexatiiui of Geneva and 
vicinity thereto. 

The questi(m of dividing Cayuga 
county was brought before the State 
Legislature of 1803, when petitions in 
favor thereof were presented to the 
State Senate, and on March 16th of 
that year. Senator Lemuel Chipnian of 
Ontario county, brought in a bill to 



give effect to the prayer of the petition- 
ers. The bill was read twice and com- 
mitted to the committee of the whole, 
but no further action was taken there- 
on by the legislature in that year. In 
1804, however, the division quesi ion took 
active form and a numlier of petitions 
favoring the several prf»jects, and sev- 
eral remonstrances, were introduced in 
both houses of the Legislature. 

Dr. Silas Halsey, a resident in the 
bounds of the present town of Lodi, 
then Ovid, had, while a resident there, 
t>eeu elected to the Slate Legislature, 
as a .Member of Assembly from Ooon- 
drtga county for the years 1797 and 
1^98, and again represented Cayuga 
county as its first .Member of Asseml>ly 
in 1800 and was continued in 1801, 
1803 and 1804 from that county. 

During this long term of legislative 
.service, Doctor Halsey had become well 
versed in legislalion and had formed 
an extensive acquaintance at Albany, 
so that his efforts in behalf of the new 
county were of great value to the 
friends of that project, although Cay 
uga in 1803-4 had three Members of 
Assembly, of whom two resided east of 
Cayuga lake. 

Joseph Aunin, a resident in the pres- 
ent territory of Cayuga county, was 
one of the Senators from the VVestern 
district of thi.^ State, and the imme- 
diate representative of Cayuga county 
in the State Senate in 1803-4. 

It is not positively known whether 
Assemblyman Halsey and Senator 
Annin both favored the same division 
project. However, on February 3d, 
1804, when a petition was presented in 
the A.'*sembly by citizens of the town 
of Hector, praying that the territory 
situate between Cayui^a and Seneca 
lakes, etc., be erected into a new coun- 
ty. It was referred to a special com- 
mittee of five, of which Dr. Halsey 
was named chairman. 

On February 27th of the same year, 
Dr Halsey introduced "an act to divide 
the county of Cayuga and for other 
purposes," which was read twice and 
referred to the committee of the whole. 
Ou March 7th the bill was favorably 
considered, and on March 9th referred 
to a select committee of which Dr. 
Halsey was cliairmau to report com- 
plete. He reported back the bill with 
amendments, which were agreed to, 



J _.. 



6 



and on March 10th it passed the As- 
sembly. The Senate, after considera- 
tion, passed the Assembly l)ill without 
amendment on March 21st, and it re- 
ceived the approval^Governor George 
Clinton on March 24th, 1804, and be- 
came a law on that day. The name 
"Seneca" given to the new county — as 
well as the name of Seneca lake and 
Seneca river — isderived from the Sene- 
ca nation of Indians, the strongest and 
most warlike tribe of the Six Nations 
oT Iroquois Indians. 

The exact boundary line between the 
lands of the Cayuga and Seneca nations 
of Indians was not very closely de- 
fined, and as late as December, 1789, 
an agreement was entered into with 
this State, wheieby the Seneca nation 
agreed to the old Pre emption line run- 
ning a little west of Geneva, and north 
to Lake Ontario, as a boundary line, 
and conceding to the Cayugas the 
whole of Great Sodus bay, known as 
"Bay of the Cayugas." The whole of 
Seneca lake, however, belonged to the 
Seneca nation, and it is said that a few 
fishing villages on its east side, near 
its north end, belonged to the same 
nation, together with the Indian vil- 
lage of Kendaia. All the rest of the 
present Seneca county, it is believed, 
belonged to the Cayuga Indians. Our 
county, therefore, while receiving the 
name "Seneca," was really a part of 
the original domain of the Cayugas, 
and it was the fourth county to be 
named from au Iroquois tribe — Onon- 
daga, Oneida and Cayuga haviug pre 
ceded it. 

The county of Seneca, by the act of 
incorporation of 1804. embraced a terri- 
tory described as follows: The south 
boundary, beginning at the head of 
Seneca lake, at the southwest corner of 
the town of Hector— thence running 
east on the south line of the towns of 
Hector and Ulysses, to the southeast 
corner of the last named town (the 
whole of the town of Ulysses and Hec- 
tor being included in Seneca county — 
and the south boundary of Ulysses ex- 
tending about 4^ miles south of Ithaca.) 
The east boundary, being constituted 
by the town of Drydea and the center 
of Cayuga lake, and its outlet, to the 
west line of the town of Brutus, and 
thence north in the west line of Brutus 
and Cato, and farther on north to Lake 



Ontario — the north boundary extend- 
ing along Ontario lake to the county of 
Ontario, thence south along the Ontario 
county or new Pre-emption line to 
Seneca lake. The west boundary, 
which has been the subject of consid- 
erable comment aud controversy, had 
been already defined in the boundaries 
of Cayuga county, estai)li;shed by the 
Revised Laws of 1801, (and continued 
as to Seneca county in the Revised 
Laws of 1813)— as bounded westerly 
by the line called the new Pre-emption 
line, from [jake Ontario to Seneca lake 
and thence along the west shore of 
said lake to the southwest corner of the 
township of Hector. 

After the counties of Tompkins and 
Wayne had been erected, in part from 
Seneca county, the Revised Statutes 
passed in 1827, de.scribe the county 
boundaries as they now exist, as fol- 
lows: All that part of the Slate bounded 
on the north by the county of Wayup, 
on the east by the county of Cayuga, on 
the south by the county of Tompkins 
(and now in part belonging to Schuyler 
county) and on the west by the west 
shore of the Seneca lake, and from the 
north end of said lake, by the Pre em[»- 
lion line, as established by law. 

The territory of the new county, in 
1804. comprised lands in the Military 
tract, Cayuga reservations and the 
Williamson Compensation Patent, (at 
the north end), situate iu the six towns 
of Ovid, Romulus. Junius and Fayette, 
with Hector and Ulysses. 

The county extended in length, north 
and south, sixty three miles with an 
average width of eleven miles aud an 
area of 744 square miles, or 476,160 
acres of land. 

One hundred years ago, when Seneca 
county was organized, its population 
was sparse and some of its territory, 
especially at the extreme north end, 
was almost an uubroken forest! 

The Indian ownership of the West 
Cayuga reservation had not been ceded 
and relinquished until 1795, and a 
Cayuga Sachem, Fish Carrier, was still 
interested in a reservation at Canoga. 
Our pioneer settlers, not infrequently 
met Indians, and as late as 1803, one 
of the early settlers iu the hi)unds of 
the present town of Tyre, was murder- 
ed by an Indian, although to the credit 
of both pioneers and Indians, it may 



be said, that they usually maintained 
friendly relations. 

The population of the original terri- 
tory included in Seiiet-a county by the 
U. 8. Census of 1800, was onfy 4,984, 
divided as follows: Ovid, includin;^ 
Hector, 3,169; Romulus, 1,035; Fayette, 
including Junius and the entire north 
end of county to Lake Ontario, 803, 
and Ulysses 937. The town of Ovid, 
included the center of population of 
this territory. 

It is not our purpose, to enter at 
length into the history of the set- 
tlement of the several towns, as to 
which there is some dispute, as to 
priority. As already stated, Seneca 
Falls contained the earliest settle- 
ment by Job Smith in 1787, followed 
by Lawrence Van (Ueef and others, in 
1789. Romulus, Ovid, Lodi and Wat 
erloo were also settled in 1789, while 
the other towns of the present county, 
followed within a few years later. The 
town of Ulysses, claims settlement in 
1789, and Hector in 1791, while the 
towns of Galen and Wolcott, which 
foi n)ed a part of our original county 
(although not yet organized at the time 
of its formation), were not settled un- 
til 1800 and afterward. 

It has been well said, "that the 
founders of every community, impress 
their characteristics, which retpaiu 
fixed for a long period, perhaps per- 
manently." 

The early settlers of Seneca county 
represented German and Scotch Irish 
from Pennsylvania, Holland Dutch and 
English from New Jersey and Pjastern 
New York, Yankees from the New 
England States, with a few persons of 
foreign birth. From such an admi.x 
ture. including many Revolutionary 
soldiers, a conservative, industrious, 
frugal, and patriotic population has re- 
suited. 

Usually, in the formation of a new 
county, there is a contest, upon the lo- 
cation of the county buildings, and the 
legislation which provides for their lo- 
cation, is sometimes very shrewdly 
drawn, to accomplish a desired pur- 
pose. 

'i'he act for organization of Seneca 
county, required the su[)ervisors of the 
new county, to raise one thousand <hil- 
lars for buildings, and nanuvl Jolin 
Sayre of Romulus, James VauHorue of 



Ovid and Grover Smith of Hector, as a 
commission to superintend the building 
of a court hou.-^e and jail, "to be erect- 
ed in tlie town of Ovid, and not more 
than four miles south of the north line 
of said town, and not less than three 
tuiles from the Seneca and (^ayuga 
lakes" It was further pioviiled, ihat 
the courts for the coumy "shall be 
htjiden at the meeting hou.se on Lot 
No 30 in the town of Oviil," undoubt- 
edly the (irst church edifice erected in 
the bounds of the present county — 
about five miles southeast of Ovid vil- 
lage — until further h^^islation; also, 
that pn.souHrs bo confuu<d in jiil at 
Elmira, until county jail is completed. 

The commissioners, it will be .seen, 
were really lestricted as to the location 
of the site, between the North bvjund- 
ary of the town of Ovid, and a line ex- 
tending south four miles, reaching to 
the present town of Lodi. and three 
milns east of Seneca lake. 

The village of Lancaster, situate 
upon the site of the present village 
of Willard, in the town of Romu- 
lus, desired the location of the coun 
ty seat, and at a special town meet- 
ing, lield in that town, June 9th, 1804, 
its citizens protested vigr)rously against 
this location and the town of Washing- 
ton (Fayette), in special town meeting 
held July 7th in the .same year, took 
similar adverse action. 

It is understood that the town of 
Ulysses, in which the promising village 
of Ithaca was located, was also decid- 
edly opposed to the proposed location 
of the county buildings, as were also 
the inhabitants of Junius. 

The first board of supervisors of the 
new county, which convened at Ovid, 
October 3d, 1804, and adjourned to the 
house of John JMc.Math, abf)ut two 
miles south of the village, refused, at 
first, by a tie vote, to appropriate 
moneys for erecting county buildings, 
the supervisors of Ovid, Hector and 
Romulus voting in the afhrmative, and 
the supervisors of Junius, Fayette and 
Ulysses, voting in the negative. Before 
adjournment, however, the sum of one 
thousand dollars was api>ropriated, 
leaving the question as to location of 
site of the county buildings, open to 
further legislation. 

The legislature of 1805, refused to 
change the location, but made it still 



8 



more definite anci positive, by reqair- 
ins the bnilditiff CDinmissioueis to lo- 
oatp the couotv buildings, on h.>t No. 
3, (upon the site of Ovid villnge) the 
site to be located not exof^eding fifty 
rods west of the three mile limit from 
Seneca lake, imposed in the preceding 
year. From this, it is evident, that 
some measurement had been made dur- 
ing the year, showing that the desired 
site was not quite three miles from 
Seneca lake. It may be added here, 
that as early as 1797, wheti the terri- 
tory of this counlv, still formed a part 
of Onondaga county, the courts of that 
county were rnciuired by the legislature 
to be held, at Manlius, .\urora and at 
the house of Andrew Dunlap in Ovid 
The Ovid term to be held on thf^ 4th 
Tuesday of September. 

Hon. John Delafield. in his county 
history says, that this term of court 
was held at the barn of Andrew Dunlap. 
At the session of the lugislature in 1805 
it was provided that the court appoint 
ed to be held at the meeting house, al 
ready relerred to, on the second Tues- 
day of May 1805, after convening, 
shall adjourn to the house of John See- 
ley on Lot 3 aforesaid. Through the 
courtesy of County C'lerk Savage, it 
has been ascertained, that the site for 
county buildings at Ovid, on 1 -ot 3 
aforesaid, was deeded to the supervis- 
ors of the county of Seneca, by John 
Seeley and wife, by an absolute deed 
of conveyance, for a "consideration of 
five dollars, and the advantages and 
emoluments arising from the building 
of a court house." The site comprises 
three acres of land, including the pub- 
lic park in front of the buildings. The 
erection of the court house and jail, was 
begun in 1806, and completed without 
df'lay, and thus the machinery of the 
new county was fully set in operation, 
Dr. Silas Halsey having been appoint- 
ed county clerk. 

As indicating the influence of the 
towns of Hector and LTlysses in the af- 
fairs of the new county, it may be men- 
tione<i, thai the first sheriff appointed 
in 1804, was a resident of Hector, and 
the appointee for first judge of the 
Court of (yommon Pleas, was a resi- 
dent of Ulysses, as were also his two 
successors, and up to 1815, this import- 
ant office was held by a resident of 
Ulysses. Hon. Cornelius Humfrey, 



the first appointee for judge, was also 
elected supervisor of Ulysses in 1805, 
although later a resident of Hector. 
Fivfi residents of Ulysses also served 
as Members of A.-^sembly. during the 
thirteen y^ar period before the erection 
of Tompkins county, and one Repre- 
sentative in Congress, Dr. Oliver C. 
Comstock. for four ye^rs. For a num- 
ber of years, the public affairs of the 
county, now seemingly mo\ed along 
smoothly The town of Wolcott, ad- 
joining LmUp Ontario, was erected a 
town in 1S07, allhnngh not fully or- 
ganized and represented in our l)oard of 
stlp^>^vi^ors until 1810. In 1812, that 
town was however annexed to Cayuga 
county, and remained in connection 
with that county, until 1817, when it 
was reannesed to S^^neca county. 

Tlie town of Galen was organized in 
1812, from territory lying on the north 
of Junius. The populatiou of the 
s<iuth towns increased most rapidly, 
aud the inhabitants of Ulysses becom- 
ing more and more restive, sought the 
erection of a new county, with county 
seat at Ithaca. 

F'or several years prior to 1817, one 
of the Members of Assembly from 
Seneca county, had been elected from 
Ulysses, and in the last natned year, 
Hon. Archer Gieen was one of the 
Representatives from this county. 

The influence of Hon. Simeon De- 
Witt, a resident of Ithaca, and for fifty 
years surveyor general of this Slate at 
Alt»auy, then in active public life, had 
been exerted for a new county, with 
county buildings at Ith.ica, to secure 
which, he and other citizens made lib- 
eral offers. Hon. Elisha Williams, a 
propeity holder at W.iterloo, repre- 
sented Columbia county in the Assem- 
bly for several years, including the 
year 1817. 

The county of Seneca was in 1817 
represented in the State Senate by Hon. 
John Knox of Wateiloo, who favored 
the new county, and although Hon. 
Wm. Thompson of Ovid, whs a Mem- 
ber of Assembly that year, the combin- 
ed influence of Waterloo and Ithaca, 
was too great for him to overcome, and 
on April 7th, 1817, the new county of 
Tompkins was erected, which includ- 
ed the towns of Hector aud Ulysses, 
from Seneca county. Not content with 
the annexation of these towns, the new 



town of Covert erected from Ovid on 
the same day, exteodiug from lake to 
lake, was also annexed to the new 
county, leaving Ovid only fonr miles 
from the south line of the county. 

It may be here stated, that two years 
afterwards, by act of April 13th, 1819, 
the town of Covert was re-annexed to 
Seneca county, and Ovid was then lo- 
cated nine miles from the south line of 
the county. 

The Act erecting Tompkins county, 
named Hon. John Knox, and Reuben 
Swift of Waterloo and John Watkins of 
South Waterloo, as building commis- 
sioners to erect court house and jail for 
Seneca county, on a site at Waterloo 
to be conveyed to the county. The act 
required the supervisors to raise four 
thousand dollars in aid of erecting the 
new buildings, whenever the building 
commissioners certified that a like 
amount had been voluntarily contribut- 
ed. 

The site for the county buildings was 
as the county clerk states, conveyed by 
absolute deed of conveyance, on July 
4th, 1817, to the supervisors of Seneca 
county by Hon. Elisha Williams of 
Hudson, N. Y. , and Reuben Swift and 
wife of Waterloo, the consideration 
named in deed, being "one dollar, and 
the advantages arising from the build- 
ing of a court house at Waterloo.'' 

The building commissioners reported 
to the board of supervisors in October 
1817, that four thousand dollars had 
been raised by voluntary contributions 
and requested alike appropriation from 
the county. This request was denied, 
as were several motions to raise le.sser 
amounts, but finally before the board 
adjourned, the sum of five hundred dol- 
lars was voted. 

The buildings were erected in 1818, 
and in compliance with the terms of 
the act, Waterloo became the sole coun- 
ty seat. 

The village of Ovid and the south 
towns of the county, while losing the 
county seat, were undismayed, perhaps 
little thinking that in six years, Water- 
loo, would by the erection of another 
new county, be placed in precisely the 
same position, as that of Ovid in 1817. 
The legislature was again appealed to 
for relief, and in 1832, when Hon John 
Maynard, at that time a resident of 
Ovid, represented Seneca county as 



Member of Assembly, with Hon. James 
Dickson of Galen, by Act chapter 137 
laws of that year, the county was di- 
vided into two jury districts, by the 
south line of Fayette, a division in ef- 
fect creating north and south jury dis- 
tricts, which still exists, and requiring 
the courts to be held alternately in the 
same, and also providing for the use of 
jails at Waterloo and Ovid. The pas- 
sage of this act, created substantially 
the half shire system of court houses, 
which the creation of a new county, 
the following year, cemented more 
strongly. The Act of 1823, also pro- 
vided, "that it shall not be lawful for 
the supervisors to sell the court house 
in Ovid, or the land on which the 
same stands." 

When the construction of the Erie 
canal was authorized in 1817, it crossed 
the town of Galen, in the territory of 
which, several important villages were 
located. A movement for a new coun- 
ty culminated in 1823, when Hon. An- 
nanias Wells of Galen was one of the 
Members of Assembly from Seneca 
county and Hon. Byram Green of 
Sodus, then in Ontario county, was a 
member of the State Senate. Bv Act 
Chapter 138, Laws of 1823, passed 
April eleventh, in that year, the coun- 
ty of Wayne was erected, and the 
towns of Galen and Wolcott were an- 
nexed thereto, the large area of these 
two towns now forming six towns of 
that county. Ovid and Wayne county, 
evidently joined forces, this time 
against Waterloo. The two towns an- 
nexed, embraced all of the territory of 
Seneca county north of Junius and left 
Waterloo village, only eight miles from 
the north boundary of the county. 

Although efforts were made in 1844 
and 1854 in the board of supervisors to 
secure a single set of centrally located 
county buildings at Bearytown, the 
project was lost in 1854, by one vote 
less than the necessary two- thirds vote 
(the vote resulting sis ayes and four 
noes) and the half shire system with 
two jury districts established in 1833, 
and perpetuated in 1823, still remains 
in full force and effect. The rptation 
system, in nominations for county offi- 
cers, between the towns of the two jury 
districts long practised by the two lead- 
ing political parties, has of late years 
not been closely observed. The num- 



10 



ber of towns had now become reduced 
to five, Ovid, Romulus, Fayette, Junius 
and Covert, to which Lodi was added 
in 1836, Seneca Falls, Waterloo and 
Tyre in 1829, and Varick in 1830, mak- 
ing the number ten, as now existing. 
No change in the towns has been made 
since, and no change in town territory, 
except, two slight changes in Ovid 
boundaries in the year 1837 and 1843. 
There are now four incorporated vil- 
lages in the county, Waterloo, Seneca 
Falls, Ovid and Farmer, the latter dat- 
ing from 1904. 

The area of the couuiy as now re- 
duced, extended thirty-two milt-s north 
and south in length, and an average 
width of about ten miles and conlaius 
199,500 acres of land, the two court 
houses being situate tittten miles apart 
in a direct line. In order to complete 
the statement relating to couuiy build- 
ings it may be added here tliat the 
Board of Supervisors has from time to 
time, since 1823, maintained and im- 
proved the county buildings at Water- 
loo and Ovid. 

A proposition to rebuild the courtj 
house at Ovid failed iu 1841 and 1843, 
but was adopted by the board in 1844, 
the contract was let therefor and the 
building completed upnu the lot where 
the first court house had been located. 
The county clerk's offlje at Ovid was 
authorized to be built in 1859 and com- 
pleted by 1861. 

The erection of a county clerk's of- 
fice at Waterloo whs authorized in 
1858 59, and completed in 1861. the 
land therefor having been conveyed to 
the County in the latter year. The 
building and lot were ordered sold by 
the Supervisors in December, 1900, 
and the erection of a new county clerk's 
office, to include also surrogate's office 
was provided fi>r, adjoining the court 
house, and which was completed for 
occupancy early in the year 1902. The 
present jail at Waterloo was authorized 
to be built in 1866 and completed the 
next year. 

It may be of interest to note the 
several attempts since 1817, to chunge 
the court house site, and boundaries of 
Seneca County, as well as annexation 
schemes. After the erection of Tomp- 



kins County and during the controversy 
between Waterloo aud Ovid over the 
county buikliugs, already in 1818, no 
tii!e of applicution to the legislature of 
1819 was published, asking for the an 
nexalion to Sene«a County of the town 
of SenHca (including Geneva) and the 
town of Phelps, Outario County, with 
l)a!f shire court hous>^s at Waterloo and 
Gf'unva. This applictlion faded. In 
1829, several years after thn erectmn 
of Wayne couuty, an application was 
made to the legislature for a new 
county to comprise the five north towns 
of S'^neca County aud thu towns of 
Phelps aud Seneca iu Ontario County 
with half shire court house at Water- 
loo aud Geneva. This applicatioQ also 
fail<;d. 

The question of division or annexa- 
tion was discussed from time to time, 
but in 1869, when Judge Charles J. 
Folger, of Genevf!, hnld a seat in the 
slate senate, it again took such formid- 
a|^!e shape that a special meeting of the 
Board of Supervisors of this County 
was held ou February I8th of that 
•'year, at whiiih your honored townsiuau, 
Hon. (Jilbert Wilcoxen pre-^idod, and 
strong resolutions were adopted, re- 
citing: 

'•Whereas, An effort is being made 
to annex the towns of Seneca and 
Phelpg in the Couuty of Seneca, to the 
County of Sent'ci, making Geneva 
the county seat of the piopased 
county, therefore 

Resolved, That in the opinion of this 
board such a measure is inexpedient, 
unvvise and uncalled for by any public 
necessity of the County of Seneca, and 
is, we believe, entirely opposed to the 
wishes of a very large majority of the 
people of this county. Oii oailin^; the 
ayes and nayes the preamble and reso. 
lutio 1 was adopted by nine ayes, one 
nay, (the Supervisor of Lodl.) It was 
further 

Resolved, That we do earnestly pro- 
test against any change in the bound- 
aries of Seneca County, hs at present or 
ganizfld." This resolution was sidopted 
by eight affirmative votes, two votes 
being cast in the negative (the Super- 
visors of Lodi and Junius.) 'Ihis 



11 



scheme again failed and let us hope 
that tlie seulimeut of lidelity to this 
county expressed iu this resojjtioa 
may loug cuutiuue to prevail thereiu. 

The latest project for ciiange em- 
braced the aiuiexation of tlie city of 
Geueva to Seueca County or the an- 
uexaiion of IJorder City iu the towu of 
Waierloo, to Ueueva. Tlie Board of 
Supervisors of this Couuty at its an- 
nufil sessiou iu l'J02, ou Doeeuibor 19ih, 
adopted tiie fwliowihg resolution : 

^*Besolved, 1 hat a comniitlee of three 
be appointtjd ijy the chairman to act iu 
thenuatter regnrdiug the anucxatioQ of 
Geut^va to Seneca Couuty or the au- 
nexaiion of Bordt-r City to Geneva " 
A committee was appointed to look 
after and oppose tliis etian;^e. This 
scheme, like iis prt-decessors, was uu- 
successfnl. The Supervisors in 1908, 
however, again appointed a committee 
to guard the interests of this County. 

The population of ttie original terri- 
tory of Seneca County in 18uO, h^s 
been already stated. In 1810, ii hnd 
increased to 16,(509, in 1814 to 21,401. 
Even after the annexation ot two large 
towns to Tompkins eouu'y, it ri^ached 
23,619, in 1820, and iu 1825 after the 
erection of Wayne Coun.y, and the 
loss of two more townn, leaving the 
county area, as at pre^enf, it was 20,- 
169. The greatest populatioji attained 
by the county at any time, was 28,138 
in 1860, since which time the popu- 
latiou of six towns has deceased, and 
notwithstanding the iucrcHSe iu popu- 
Iftliou of Seu«ca Kails and Waterloo — 
and the ii crease since ttie opening of 
Wiliard St-tte Hospital isi 1869, iu 
Ovid airl Romulus — the population by 
tbe e<nus of IJOO, was 28,114 

Based upon population, from 1804 
to 1815 inclusive, the couuty ele(;te<l 
one Member of Assembly ; in 18l6 and 
1817, three members; from 1818 to 
1836 inclusive, two members; and since 
tlie latter d'lte, one memlier. 

The tendency of p'-piilntiou to iatge 
villagps and cities, and the falling ott' 
in population of figricultural towns — 
on account of cousolidatiou of farms, 
etc., causes which afti ct many other 
counties of the stite, sufli iently ac- 
couuts for the falling off iu our popu 



lation, without assigning other causes. 
Our county has reached and passed 
a number of important periods or 
epochs, in its process of df^velopment, 
from the time of the earliest settle- 
ments made within its borders. A 
few of tliese will be mentioned: 

1. The opening of the Bennett- 
Harris ferry across Cayuga Lake, and 
the first Sta(>e Road crossing thereat, 
1790-1791 followed by the Great Gen- 
esee road 1796-97, both leading from 
the eastern part of the state to Geneva, 
and farther west, and the incorpor- 
ation of the Seneca Turnpike Road 
Company, 1800 1801. 

2. The opening of the famous Cay- 
uga BridgH across Cayuga Lake in 
1800, and tilt? impetus given to travel 
and the CHrryiug of United States mails 
by the organization of lines of stagfs. 

3. The iucorporatiou of the Itiiaca 
and Geneva Turnpike Company in 
ISIO, and it^ partial corapleiiou for 
travel and transportation of the United 
States mails. 

4 The improvemiiit of the navi- 
gation of the Seneca nver and other 
early improvements, by the Seneca 
Lock Navigation compiny, 1813 1819. 

5. The opening for tr«ffio of the 
Erie Canal from Albany to Montezuma 
and its completion iu 1825, followed 
by the Cayuga and Seneca canal com- 
pleted in 1828 and the new method of 
travel by cnnal packet boats. 

6. The opening of steamboat travel 
and traffic on Cayuga lake (1820) and 
on Seneca lake (1828). 

7. The opening for travel and busi- 
neis of the Auourn and Rochester rail- 
road acro3s this cumty iu 1841, mak- 
ing a continuous line of railroad to 
Albany. 

8 The establishment of telegraph 
and telephone lines and of express 
offices. 

9. The completion of a line of the 
Geuevrti Ithaea & Sayre railroad, (now 
Lehigh Vulley) across this county in 
1873, and of a second line in 1892, 
with a blanch to Seneci Falls iu 1898. 

10. The development of manu- 
factories iu the vill.ige'S of Seneca 
Falls, Waterloo, Farmer Village and 
other villages of the county. 



12 



11. Improved methods of farming 
and introduction of improved machin- 
ery connected therewith. 

12. The opening of an electric line 
of railway across the county to Cayuga 
Lake Park with promise of fiinher ex- 
tension. 

Time will not permit an extended 
notice of public schools and teachers, 
or of educational progress in this 
county. 

When the first general act for the 
encouragement of public schools was 
passed in 1795, there were very few 
schools withiu our boundaries, and 
these were privately supported. Under 
the act, a number of schools were 
established bnt it was not until after 
the passage of an act by the state leg- 
jalature in 1812 for the organization 
and establishment of common schools, 
that school districts w«re systemati 
cally organized and established. 

The state, at an early date, mad^i 
snvall appropriations for public schools 
and these were aided in the towns of 
the military tract, by income from the 
gospel and school lot. 

An application to the state school 
deptrtment for information as to 
schools in this county as early as 1804, 
elicited the response that the depirt- 
ment has no record of beneca County 
school districts prior to 1838. 

Spafford's Gazetteer of the state of 
New York, published in 1813, men 
tions thirty three school houses in the 
towns of Ovid, Romulus and Fayette, 
by the census of 1810, but gives no 
data HS to the other towns, and it is 
safe to give the number at that time, 
as fifty. This was the era of leg 
school houses, followed by the ^'little 
red school house," and within the past 
sixty years, by commodious and well 
adapted struciures Jn 1838, there 
were in the bounds of the present 
county, 116 school districts, which 
number has become reduced by the 
consolidation of districts, and the for- 
mation of several Uoioo High schools, 
to ninety-two school districts in 1903. 

Academies were established and in- 
corporated at Ovid in 1830, at Seneca 
Falls in 1837 and at Waterloo in 1842. 
All of these academic institutions are 



now continued as Union High schools, 
and in addition, a high sohuul has been 
e.^tablished at the village of Farmer. 

The Seneca Falls Union High s'ibool 
is still known as Mynderse Acadi'my, 
in honor of its early patron. Col. 
Wilhelmus Mynderse. 

In 1853, the State Agricultural Col- 
lege was incorporated and located up- 
on the farm of Hon John Delafield in 
Fayette, who was chosen its president. 
After his death, it was removed to Ovid, 
a college building was erected, and 
opened in i860, under the presidency 
of Gen. Marsena R. Fntrick, who re- 
tired therefrom to enter service in the 
Civil War. 

This college was subsequently re- 
moved to Havana, Schuyler county, 
and afterwards to Ithnca, where hav- 
ing received the college land griat 
from the United States, it is now lo- 
cated as a Department of Cornell Uni- 
versity The only consolation for 
th4 diver/sion of this institutiou from 
Seneca county is, that it is now lo- 
cated in the original territory of Sen- 
eca County, and that the president 
of its Agricultural department, who 
long served in that c ipncity, was born 
in the present county. 

The history of the State AgricultuVal 
College and Willaid St^ite H')apilal,>tits 
successir, will be sepai-ately writj^en 
and presented to your society, by»ne 
thoroughly conver.sant therewith. 

The learned professions have been 
represented in this c'unty by mnny 
prominent men. 

At the time of the organizition of 
the county, as far as can be ascertained 
there were only five organized religious 
congregations in the bounds of the 
present county, all at the south end, 
and two or three in Ulysses and 
Hector, With a single exception (the 
church on lot thirty, Ovid in which 
the first courts were held) it is be- 
lieved that these congregations then 
worshipped in private houses, barns 
or school house:^, and 'priojitive log 
churches followed latfr, in some cases 
Some of these coogregntions were 
without regular pastor.'^, and the first 
clergymen of the county, were those 
who oflB.ciated therein. Of these con 



13 



gregafiona one in the towu of Romulus, 
oelelirated its CHnleuuinl in 1895, ooe 
in L'di in 1900, one in Varick, (at 
Romnlu^i villngt-) in 1902, and one 
each in Oyiii «nd Covert, in 1903. 
During the next few years, onfi con- 
greg'Ui>)n in each of the towns of Fay-, 
ette. Seneea Falls. Junins auil Tyre, 
wilt attain one hundred years of fige. 

iVIauy of the clerjiyuinu of this 
county, have euj 'yed long pai»torates. 
one at Beftrytown for an active period 
of sixty years, one at VVattTioo for 
thirty sftven years, one at Romulus 
villai{e f r twenty seven year.-», one at 
Ovid for twenty six years, one at 
Seneca Falls for tWHnty-one y-ars, be- 
sidt s six or seven others, for periods 
of from fifteen to twir-nty years. 

At the present time, the pastor of the 
Baptist church at Magee'a Corners, in 
the town of Tyre (who is present with 
us to nitrhl) is serving his fortif-th 
year in active ministry in th« town in 
which he was horn of patriotic Revo- 
lutionary ancestry. 

There are at present forty-nine 
church edifices open for religious ser- 
vici^s in the county, besides sevf^ral 
chapfls (sev'^ral rural churches having 
been closed) with forty pastors These 
churches ami chapels had by the last 
pub'ished cfn^us, a seaMag capacity for 
20,850 persons. It is Uy no means a 
mat er of which to be proud, but the 
truth of history compels ihe stnte-nent, 
thnt the Mormon (Church (called also 
the church of Latter D ly Saints) was 
fiist orjranizcd in ih« town of Fayette, 
by Josepli S'.riith and five others, on 
April 6, 1830. 

At the time of the organization of 
Seneca County, March 24, 1804, so far 
as hss been asc^Ttaincd, there wts not 
a lawyer residing in the bounds of 
the present County, if indeed there 
were any »«eh in the whole County as 
then existing. Many of the practising 
lawyers, from time to time, have taken 
a prominent «nd distinguished position 
at the Bar or on the Bnnch. The l«st 
ocurt calendar issued bv the County 
Ch rk, contains a roll of forty re-ideut 
attorneys at law. The -'Judiciary of 
Seneca County" is to be specially 
written up by one who will do full 



justice to the subject. 

The medical profession has from the 
beginning bt-en well represented. In 
the early history of the County, Dr. 
Silas Halsey served as member of as- 
semOly, the tiist county clerk, re|)re- 
sentative in Congress and in many 
other public capacitie.s. 

Dr. Jared Sand ford served as the 
fir:^t surrogate and treasurer of the 
County; Dr. Oiver C- Comstock as 
judge, member of assembly and repre- 
yentative in Congres-i. Many other 
physicians have held Dromiuent public 
posilioue and have eujoyi-d a high 
sianding in iheir profession. 

Dr. Alexander Coventry, who loc^v^ 
(S^^^da with hi-i family in Payette in 
1792, and afterwards removed to 
Oneida County, w.ss twice elected 
president of the State Medical So<.-Jety, 
and Dr. Heory D Didami, a former 
resident of Romulus village, 1846 to 
1851, now residing at Syracuse and 
serving a^ Dean of the Medical depart- 
ment of Syracuse University, at an ad- 
vanced age, was honored with an elec- 
tion to the same position 

Since the ope dug of Willard State 
Hospital for the insane, in 1869, the 
Medicil Society of the (/ounty has 
been re inforced by a uumlier of promi- 
nent physicians, whose labors in be- 
half ot the unfortunates in their charga 
have been productive of much good. 
The history of tnis institution, one of 
the largest of its class in this state, 
shows an honorable and worthy record 
thoughout. It, has at the present time, 
two thousand two hundred and twenty - 
five (2,225) patients. 

The Editorial professiion, the fourth 
estate, has been well susiaiued since 
the first newspaper was established at 
Ovid in 1815 At the present time six 
newspapers are published in the 
County, two at Seneca Falls, two at 
Waterloo and one each at Ovid and 
the village of Farmer. Th-i news- 
papers of Seneca County have taken 
a deservedly high position in this s'at.e. 
One of the present eilitors has edited 
his newspaper in Seneca Falls for lorty- 
hve years, and stv- ral others for more 
than an average period of editorial ser- 
vice. Several of the editors have been 



14 



chosen to the highest positions in 
State Editorinl Associations, of which 
they are honored njeml)ers. 

It has been said by a prominent 
statesman that ••The cultivation of the 
soil is the foundation of all puljlu 
prosperity." Farming has for many 
years been a leading pursuit in ihe 
County which has taken a high rank 
among the agricultural counties of mis 
state. 

The temp'rature of this county is 
favorably induenced by the waters of 
the adjacent lakes, which also exert a 
a genial influence upon the soil and its 
cultivation. 

The aboriginal owners of the soil, 
recognized its fertility, even by the 
most primitive meUtods of cultivation. 

Upon four occasions, the state prem- 
iums for the best farm in the state, 
has been awarded to farmers in this 
count}', and on two occasions, the Presi- 
dency of the State Agricultural So- 
ciety, has been given to farmers of 
Fayette. The distinguished honor con- 
ferred upon the county, when the first 
State Agricultural Collfge was located 
therein, has been already mentioned. 

Sixty years ago, wheat was the prin- 
cipal product. It 18 said that at one 
time in the decade between the years 
1840 and 1860, tlie seven or eight 
fli.uring mills of Seneca Fails, in 
amount and value of manufactured 
products, ranked next in ord'-r to the 
fl lUring mills of Oswego and Rochester. 

It is to be regretted that farming has 
of late yenrs been unremunerative, 
and that grape culture and fruit rais- 
ing as adjuncts to fnrming have had 
much to contend with from severe 
winters, unfavorable seasons and in- 
sect enemies, so that farming lauds 
have greatly depreciated in value. 

The Patrons of Husbandry (or the 
Farmf-re Grange) have done much in 
the past thiny years, to elevate the 
standard of farming and to improve 
the condition of farmers and their 
families, as have also Farmers' Insti- 
tutes held under the supervision of the 
State Commissioner of Agriculture 

In the early history of the county, 
its manufactured products and indus- 
tries, were of the most primitive kinds. 



These included the manufacture of 
potash, charcoal and maple sugar. 

When the three flouring mills at 
South Waterloo, Ix)di and Seneca 
Falls were complt^ted, tluir respective 
proprietors, Samuel Bear, Dr. Silas 
Haieey and Col. VVilheluuis Mynderse, 
were deemed the most public spirited, 
as well as popular men, in their several 
localities. 

By far the most extensive system of 
manufacture, however, was that con- 
ducted in each well regulated family, 
in which lineu and woolen fabrics, 
known as "home spun" were mnde 
for family use, by aid of spinning 
wheels and looms. The stale census 
of 1810, reports the whole number of 
looms in families of this ciiuuty, iu 
that year as 601 producing fifty thous- 
and yards of woolen c'otb, and 158,- 
000 yards of lin«n cloth. This manu- 
facture also gave employment to seven 
fulling mills and ten carding machines. 
The census makes mention also of 
fifteen tanneries iu the county in that 
year 

In later years manufactures, espec- 
ially those located upon the abundant 
water power of the Seneca river, have 
greatly prospered and have taken a 
high position. In order to do them 
justice and note their advancement 
from step to step, would require more 
time, than that allotted to lue. 

The traveller in othei states and iu 
foreign lands frequently sees the steam 
fire engine, and the various kinds of 
pumps and machinery, with other arti- 
cles of manufacture fiom Seneca 
Falls, while the fabrics produced by 
the Woolen Mills of Seneca Falls and 
Waterloo, have a world wide reput- 
ation, and the musical instruments and 
vehicles manufactured at Waterloo, 
also th*^ manufactures of Farmer, and 
other villages of the county, are well 
and favorably known, wherever iutro- 
duoed. 

There is room for greater develop- 
ment and expansion in manufacture in 
our midst, to inure to the advantai^e 
not only of the manufacturer, but in- 
deed to every one, for when the manu- 
facturer and the farmer are prosp' rous 
every other pursuit and occupation 



15 



is benefitted thereby. 

I'he discover^ and njanutHcture of 
salt, at acd mar the head ot botb 
Seutca and Ca'yujja Lnkes, in adjoining 
counties recHlls th« tact, that before 
the sellleiueut of ibis locality by white 
mt-n. salt was found by tlie In<lians, 
in this county on the west side of Cay- 
uga Lake, near its foot, and iu the 
town of Galen. It is believed that salt, 
will ill liiue also be found along the 
shores of Sk'ueca and Cayuga Lakes, in 
the towns of Lodi, Ovi(t and Covt^rt, 
and thus add to the value of our luana- 
factures. 

The County records show that as 
early as February 12. 18U5, a public 
library was organized iu Ovid, kiiowu 
as Ovid Union library, and in the same 
year Seneca Library nu'uber one. lo- 
cated at Lincaster, in the town of 
Romulus, was organized. B th of 
thf-se l!i)raries lave long since ceased 
to exist 

I'lie Waterloo Lil)rary and Historical 
Society was organized in 1875-76, and 
its lil)rary building (omplcied iu 1883. 
On September, o, 1879, the ceulennial 
of General John Sullivan's Indian Ex- 
pedition was successfully celebrated at 
Waterloo under its auspices, as was 
also the dedication of a monument to 
Red Jacket near Cauoga, October 15. 
1891. It has at present 7,441 volumes 
in its Library. 

The Seneca Falls library was incor- 
porated in 1892, and has already 4,198 
volumes, al though it has no pernianeut 
library building as yet. 

The Seneca Falls Historical Society, 
separately organized about nine years 
ago, and incorporated 1904. has from 
the beginning devoted much attention 
to historical inquiry and research. It 
includesin its membership not only 
persona engaged in the learned pro- 
fessions but also business men in the 
several pursuits of life, and some of 
its most zealous and enthusiastic 
workers are ladies. In 1903. this so 
ciety gave uun^h attention to the com 
uiemoration of the centennial of the 
town of Junius. The present com- 
memoration of the centennial of the 
official organiz'ition of Seneca County 
has engaged the attention of the society 



for some time, and the collection and 
preservation of material connected 
therewith, will continue even after this 
meeting. 

The VVhiltier librarv of Lodi, or 
ganized in August, 1898, has six hun- 
dred volumes in its library, and at the 
last town election the people of the 
town voted to extend fluancta! aid in 
its behnlt. 

The Ovid library was organized 
December 21, 1899, and has already 
seven hundred volumes in its library. 

A public library was als'i organized 
at Fanner, Novead>er 8. 1901. as the 
Farmer Free Library, and op -ned to 
the public July 22, 1905. which has 
six hundred and ten volumes on its 
shelves. 

In the year 1838, the legislature of 
this slate inaugurated a system of 
school district libraries. Many of the 
school districts accumulated several 
hundred volumes, and although some 
mistakes were made in selecting the 
same, many useful books were thus 
circulated in every neighborhood. In 
titne the State reduced its appropria- 
tions for these libraries and school dis. 
tricts, diverted the saine for other pur- 
poses, and books were lost also by lo. 
eating libraries iu school houses in some 
cases. The decline of the school dis- 
trict library is to be deeply regretted, 
and a re-establishment of the same, 
under suitable safeguirds, would re- 
sult in great advantage to every 
neighborhood. 

In the treatment of our subiect, we 
must occasionally present the dark as 
well as the bright side. 

This County has its share of pauper- 
ism and crime and it cannot he denied 
that with increase of population there 
has been considerable increase in both, 
as well as in the expense of adminis- 
tration. 

In the early years appropriations for 
the support of the poor were fre- 
quently voted at town meetings. The 
County^ poor house was opened for 
reception of poor persons in the year 
1830, a farm having been purchased 
therefor bv the county in that year, on 
the line of Fayette and Seneca Falls. 
The present poor house building, lo- 



16 



cated in Fayette, was erected in 1853, 
and with inteiUMl clinngHS, additions 
and iraproveiuent--^ is still in nse. The 
uuoabu' of permanent paupers tlierein 
has iii't p,refitly inciensed since the 
removal of tise insane therefrom, but 
the number of teinpurary inmntes hns 
increased coiisidt rhhly m leceut years, 
froui the class kiiovvn as pauper 
trari.ps. The copt of the poor adminis- 
tration in the several towns has been 
greatly int^reased, iinwever, of Ja'e, by 
a somewhat liiiernl bestuwment of tem- 
porary aid or out d"or relief 

The passaire ofl avFS by the state 
legislature, forhiddinp; the keeping of 
children over two years of ajre in the 
poor house, and the removal of all in- 
sane paupers therefroDj to State hoepi 
fals for the insane, were meweures 
which have commended themselves to 
all humanely disposed persons. 

Already in the year 1803, the first 
murder was committed within the 
territory of the p'-e.'-ent County, then a 
pan of Cayuga County, when Indian 
John, otherwise known as Delaware 
John, mui'dered Ezfkiel Crane, a 
pioneer settler in the bounds of the 
present town of Tyre In an historical 
paper on the "Early Records of Cay- 
uiia County." read before the Cayuga 
County Historical Society, by Georye 
W.Benhani, Esq . county cleik. a for- 
mer resident ^f Seneca Falls, he makes 
mention of the indictment and trial of 
th^^murderer. 'I'he indictment found 
by he Grand Jury of Cayuga County 
is in the following words: "That Jnhn, 
ft Delaware Indian, not having the fear 
of God before his eyes, bnt being 
nioved and seduced by the instigation 
of the devil, on the 12th day of Decem. 
ber, 1803, with a certain rifle gun, of 
the value of fifteen dollars, then and 
there loaded and charged with gun 
powder ftnd one leaden bullet, did in- 
flict a mortal wound of the depth of 
six inches, upon the person of Ezek;el 
Orane, of which wound said Eztkjel 
Crane died on the seventeenth day of 
December, 1803." 

Notwithstanding the organization of 
Seneca County, in March, 1804, the 
County of Cayuga retained jurisdiction 
in this case, and Delaw are John was 



tried at a court of Oyer and Terminer, 
held June 27, 1804, at the academy in 
the vUlage of Aurora, by and befure 
Honorable Ambr >se Speueer, one of the 
judges of the Supreme Court Judi- 
cature, presiding, and upou his own 
confes'^ion of guilt, the murderer was 
adjudged gail'y and sentenced to be 
bung, which sentence was carried into 
effect. 

The County History of 1876, mentions 
the murder of a man in this county, 
i;omruitled by one Andrews, for which 
he was tried, convicted, senleucod and 
executed at Ovid, in the period, 1810 to 
1812. D'ligent iriquiry to ascertain 
more detiniie data in relation to this 
case, failed to elicit additional informa- 
tion. 

In later vears, George Chapman, on 
July 20, 1828, murdered Diuiel Wright 
in (he town of Waterloo, tte was tried 
and convicted at a term of cour> held at 
Waterloo, was sentenced and publicly 
bung there, Mav 28, 1829. 

The last execution fcr murder in 
this C'ounty w?is tha* of Charhs John- 
son, who. upon trial and conviction of 
the niuid'-r of John Walters, at the 
village <if Wat- rloo, was sentenced and 
hung at !he jnil in that village, No- 
vember 15*h, 1888. 

There being two j'lils in this couniy 
the same are never crowded with 
prisoners. There has t>eeu no marked 
increase in the higher grades cf crime, 
although with increase in population 
the number of convictions for minor 
offenses, punishable by sentence to jail, 
has increased, ptincipally from vagrant 
tramps, as also the uuaiber of peni- 
ten'iary cases. 

In the paimy days of the local 
militia, tliis county had several militia 
regiments, and a nundjer of inde- 
y>endent militarj' companies The 
military forces of the county, bore a 
prominent part in the War of 1812. 
and were also repve-»ented in the Mex- 
ican War In the Civil War (1861- 
1865(, the several towns were repre- 
sented in the vo'unteer service and 
several residents of the County, arose 
to hiizh rank in the military service. 
The County was a'so represented by 
a few volunteers, in the late war with 



17 



Spain. 

There are now no military organiz- 
ntioiis ill this County, Hnd the days of 
"Genernl Training" fornjerly so ini- 
nortant an event, in early years, ocnr 
po more. 

It is a matter for regnt, that the 
"Town Meetinji" occuriog as an annual 
event in each town, every sprino; and 
which enabled our fathers to meet 
together and consider and perfect many 
measures thereat, for the local well- 
being, has in the past three years been 
consolidated with the general election 
and is now held biennially in Ihn fall. 
Already, it is manifest, that town busi 
ness has been greatly lost sight of, by 
this change, which has not been a 
beneficial one, and let us hope, for a 
return of the good old-fashioned Town 
Meeting, which was so greatly enj'iyed 
in former years. 

The Hi'^tory of Seneca County, 
edited by Hon. John Delafield. and 
published in 1850, and the County 
History published at Philadelphia in 
1876, are indeed interesting and valu- 
able publications, but the data thereof, 
should now be extended and brought 
down to the present time. 

The history of the towns of Romulus 
and Varick, of the south towns, and 
of the town of Fayette, and the old 
town of Junius, (now comprising the 
four north towns) have also been 
partly written. Historical sketches of 
the villages of Waterloo and Seneca 
Falls have also been recently pub- 
lished. To complete the stories of the 
towns, that of the original military 
township of Ovid, now comprising the 
town of that name, with Covert and 
Lodi, remain to be written, and it 
rests with citizens of those towns, to 
undertake this good work. 

Had time and space permitted, m^ny 
other subjects might have been referred 
to, or considered at lenj^th, among 
which may be mentioned, the Pre- 
emption line ; the Military Tract and 
Indian Ileservations; the visit and 
reception of General La Fayette in 
this County, June 8, 1825 ; Negro 
Slavery in thts County ; early Town 



Meetings and elections; the Public Men 
of the County ; The Woman's Rights 
Movement ; roads, bridges and ferries ; 
early births, marriagt-s and deaths ; 
early village."., ceuieteries, taverns, 
stores and shnpst; early teachers and 
schools; and many other suhjects, 
which must be h^ft for the consideration 
of our Historical societies, and local 
historians in the several towns. 

So too, no time is left for suitable 
mention and consideration of the vast 
progress made, in the century which 
the history of our County covers, the 
advancenn'nts made by the tflorts and 
labors ot the sturdy pioneer settlers, 
the great improvements produced by 
the power of steam and electricity ; the 
developments made in manufactures, 
arts and sciences, and in short every 
department of life and business activity. 

'<A Century with all its hopes and fears, 

Has sank into the deep abyss cf time ; 

And on the thresihold of the new, we 

stand. 

Like travellers to a strange and 

distant clime." 

During the century past, three aver- 
as:e generations of men have passed 
away • 

The transformation from 1804 to 
1904. has been wrought with great 
labor and toil. L^t us not forget the 
woi'k of our fathers, now that we en- 
joy the coaiforts of life brought about 
by their exertions, with the advantages 
aUained by education, religion, society, 
refinenient and progress. 

While we must not be unmindful of 
the past, let us enter upon the second 
century of our County, with the trust 
and confidence in the Divine Being, 
th'it He vvill direct the events of the 
future, as mercifully as He has done 
in the past. 

i thank you for your kind attention, 
and will not forget my acknowledge- 
ments to several state an«l county 
ofli<!ials and citizens, who assisted me, 
in collecting material presented for 
your consideration and in closinj; extend 
my very best wishes for the future of 
your Historical Society. 



The Early Reformed Church. 



By Rev. E. B. \/an Ai-scJale-. 



At the very outset, I must ncknowl- 
edge oiy iudebttidness for ail Ibe facts 
this paper coiUaiiis tu others wlio have 
gone so thorouglily and cuefully over 
the gioiuid 1 nni to cover as to u)fike 
origiual research ou my part absolutely 
unnecessary. VVithiu the last decade, 
four churches iu Seuccn County luive 
celebrated their centennials with puljiic 
exercises, aud ably qu'ililied hi^-t-'rinns 
have gleaned from dusty records and 
local traditions, brouj^ht to light, and 
told in interesting form, the story of 
the early struggles and endeavors of 
the religious life of our county. I am 
only to repeat here, in as concise a 
manner as possible, what h:is alreaiiy 
been told iu otlier places. 

1 am restricted by the subject as 
signed me to the Early Reformed 
Church. 1 must confess that, when 
asked to present it, 1 was at a loss to 
understand why this particular tienora- 
iuation should have been selected for 
special attention upon this honorable 
occasion. It forms so small a part of 
the religious forces of the county The 
three l>utch Reformed C'hurches sit- 
uated at Lodi, Farmer and Tyre, and 
the Germau Reformed Church at 
Bearytowu are all the Reformed 
churches iu our bounds. However, 
historically considered, they are of in- 
terest and importance to us at this 
time. 

Before I enter upon my special 
theme, 1 may be allowed some general 
notice of the early religious life of our 
county, since mine is the only paper 
that bears upon that subject. With the 
possible exception of traders with the 
Indians, the first white men to enter 
this immediate section before the Amer- 
ican Kevolutiou were Bishop John 
Frederic Christopher Cammerliotf and 
Rev. David Zeisberger, missionaries of 
the Moravian Church to the Indians. 
They made a tour from Wyoming, 



Pennsylvania, in the summer of 1750, 
crossing frou) the ea>'tein shore of 
Cayuga Lake, just above the present 
villnge of Union Sprmgs, traversing 
thr) intervening foresis to the out!et of 
Si^ineca L°ik'^, and thenee to tiie Gen- 
esee River, returning as they had come 
PuHsiiily, before thtir visit, J-^suit 
niissiennries had ministered to the In- 
dians l>ctwet'n these lakes, as they did 
to the East, but no record of such ser- 
vice has been fo-ind. In 1765-66, Rev. 
Samuel Kirkland locsted for a lime as 
a uiissionary to the Seneca Indians, a 
little distance west of the present city 
of Geneva, and iu the course of his 
work, visited the eastern shores of 
Seneca Lake, where, on one occasion, 
he nearly lost his life at the hands of a 
hostile rcdpkin. But these v^ere all 
labors among the Aborigines, and, of 
course, have no bearing upon the de- 
velopment of the county. 

Actual settliMuent by wiiites diil not 
begi'i until the close of the Revolution. 
I suppose I ought to spare you the in- 
troduction of a name so fatiiiliar to you 
all. Job kMuith, I sui-^pect lias been 
afflicted with a gnat deal of posthum- 
ous iniport.aucc at the hands of your 
Historical Society, merely beciuise he 
was venturesome enough to be the 
hrst settltr in the county, here, at Sen- 
eca Falls, in 1787. He did not stay 
long. But his early departure in 1793 
has not saved him from fame. The 
i&rst pGrmaiic7d settlers who entered the 
county from the soutli by way of Sulli- 
van's trail, were mostly adherents of 
tlie Refortned Chiu'ches of Pennyylvania 
and New Jersey. Many of them were 
veferan.s of that army whose man^h 
through the reid'Jus bad revealed the 
rich fertility of its soil and the charm 
ing beauty of its landsi-ape. They 
came with their families and belong- 
ings iu f,;reat four-horse, canvas-topped 
wagons, cutting their way through 



19 



dense forests, and building brush roads 
over the swamps. LaUr, there wns an 
iinui'gration into tlie north end of th(! 
ciiU'.t:, hirgniy from New England, 
by tilt' wnter wayn of the iMtihawk, Oh- 
Wfgo jind Seneca River, and the lakes. 
At the t)ej/iiuiii)g of tht: Ihst decrtde of 
the eighteenth Ceniury, there were 
proliuhiy not more than mh z^n families 
between these lakes, Si-atleied from the 
sontiivvest corner of the present town 
of Lodi to Seneca Falls. For the most 
pjut, they were ntea who combiut'd 
with their sturdine^j* and industry and 
indepi iidunce, a firm fni h in God and 
His I'rovidence. Tliey l)rouj!:hl tiieir 
religinn with iheui into this vircjin 
wihlerness, and kept the light of faith 
burning upon the altars of their rude 
log C'tbins. 

Between 1790 and 1800, the settlers 
came in much more r«pidly, and uiis- 
siouarif'S from oilier regions were sent 
out to look after their .spiriUial inter- 
ests, aud to l?iy the foundations for 
church expansion. Gradually, the 
growing population was gathered iuto 
groups of worshippers, nnd chnrehes 
began to be o»gnuized here and there, 
so that by the tim'^ of the formation of 
the pr^-seui. County of Sfneea, in 1804, 
there were wittiin its bounds five or 
ganized cliurehfS. Tliree of these 
were of the Presb\ teriMn order, and 
two of them B'iptist soeieties. 

7'lie first church organized in Ihe 
county wjis the First Bnp'ist of Koran 
Ins at Kendfiin, eonstituted in June, 
1795, wi'h seven meuiiiers. It was 
natural thfd this denominntion should 
feel drawn at an early date to this 
well watered (iountry. Tlie ('overt 
Baptist chutch was formed in Febru- 
ary, 1803. with twenty eight mem- 
bers. The u«mes of Jede;!iah (Jhnp- 
man and John Lindsli-y are priininent 
among the pioneer miidhters of Wes- 
tern New York, the f(»rnier loi a-ed at 
Geneva nnd fornn d the Presb\b'rian 
church of thatplnce in 1800. The laiter 
orij;.nnizeil a Presbyterian chureh witliin 
the bounds of the pre-*' nt town of Lodi, 
in the same year, which was the second 
church soci(ty in the eounfy. He he- 
came its pastor and eonsequ( ntly was 
the first oidained clergyman to settle 



in a regular charge in our county. 
Preshyteriftn churches were also es- 
tablished (>y Chapman at Romulus in 
April, 1802, and in the present village 
of Ovid, July, 1803. (He also founded 
tite I'restiyieriau church of iSeneca 
Falls in 1807.) These five were the 
church ore^aniz'itions already effected 
in the couniy at the time of its formal 
e.-itabli?^hmeut — a constellation of re- 
hj^ions centers for the fostering and 
promoting of the finest sentiments of 
our civilization in the early dawn of 
our history Itineraries of the Metho- 
dist Episcopal church also traversed 
this territory in those early days, 
preaching at Seneca Falls as early as 
1797 at probal)ly tlie first ndigious ser- 
vice held in that town. The Seneca 
Circuit gresv out of this work, formed 
in 1801, aud extending from the Clyde 
River to the (Jheinung with Seneca 
Falls as one of the ajiiiointments for 
regular visiting by the ministers. 
There seems, moreover, to have been 
a union organization etleeted by Chap- 
man in the vicinity of Lodi village in 
1803, composed partly of those dis- 
atlected from the Lindsley church. 

This last organization is of interest 
to us because it erected the first house 
of worship in the county. It was con- 
structed of hewn logs and ntood upon 
a plot of ground j^iveu by .Judge Silas 
Halsey, across ihf! ro.'id from the grist 
mill he had built (also the first in the 
county) southwest from Lodi village, 
then known as DeMotl's corners. This 
house was built just one hundred years 
ago so it was prol)ftbly the only church 
building in the county at Itie time of 
its forma'ion. The church founded by 
Rev. Lindsley likely erected a build- 
ing soon after this, it may be in the 
same year. I'he early services of our 
fathers were liehl in homes, barns and 
schoolhou.ses. and someiimes in those 
great temples of nature, the vast 
ai.-led forests The appoi ntments of 
worship were necessarily very crude. 
One hns described the meeting in a 
barn , the eongreofntion sitlint; upon 
upturned pnils, boards and chunks of 
wood, soMie standing, the preacher 
upon a sleigh for a platform with an 
inverted box for a desk. Aud even in 



20 



the ehnrcbes there was little comfort, 
scarcely more than a shelter from the 
elements, the only heat from foot 
stoves, rough, high bnckcd seats tor 
the worshipper's comfort. Even the 
women atten<le(l church barefooted. 
But amid all the hardships and dis 
comforts people attended updu the 
means of grace with zest and relish, 
walking long miles, perhaps driven 
partly, hy a aesire for neij>hborly in- 
terch'inge of news, but surely, too, b)' 
a high appreciation of the things of 
God — solace and stay for that rough 
life they livtd. Sometimes these early 
places of worship were, to use the 
Irishman's phrase, "Fiib d to the brim 
inside and out" — and hundreds, unable 
to get room within, gathered ariund 
the church and listened to the preacher's 
voice coming through the open doors 
and windows. 

We must now turn for a few 
moments to the spfcinl subjtct of our 
paper — The Early Reformed Church 
A few worda of explanation in regard 
to the Reformed Church will not be 
amiss. It is the term applied to that 
division of ProtestHntisu* that had its 
rise in Switzerland in 1516, under the 
leadership of Zwingli. It was con- 
temporary with but disiiuct from the 
Lutheran movement. It soon gained a 
foothold in the German centers of 
Switzurlaod and in the PalHtinat^^, in 
Holland and in France. The Reformed 
church in America is the descendant of 
the Reforni'ition in Holland. The Re- 
formed Church in the United States, to 
which the church at Bearvtown belongs, 
is descended from the Gr-rman church. 
The Reformed tvpe of Christian doc- 
trine is Caivinistic, as taught by the 
Heidelberg catechism, in close agree- 
ment with the Westminister confession 
of the Presbyterian church to which it 
is closely allied, also in form of 
government — the form which is most 
in accord with our Republican institu- 
tions. Indeed, later scholars contend 
that Holland more than any other 
country has furnished the principles 
upon which ouD,natural institutions are 
founded. (J^^cm* 

The Protestant faith was held in 
Holland at the greatest sacrifice. They 



long defied Philip II. and his minious 
backed as they were, by the whole 
military and ecclesiasticjil resources of 
Spain, tlien the greatest p<^wer in the 
world. So calamiiouy vv-ih its condi- 
tion during the eighty jefirs war that 
the Reformed Church c<dl<d itself 
''The Church under the Cross. 
Finally, its indomitable pluck and 
persistence wore out the spirit of its 
foe. It then became tli»' asylum of all 
the persecuted of otij* r laud.s. The 
Pilgrims from England Siiujiit refuge 
there before bravine: the dangers of the 
sea and the perils of the inhospitable 
shores of New England. The Hugue- 
nots, driven from France, found 
safety and liberty in Holland and 
identified themselves with the Dutch 
Reformed church 

Our great commouw alth of New 
York is chisely related to this brave 
people, as they were its first colonists. 
In 160i), Hendrick Hudson, in the em 
ploy uf the Dutch West India (yOin- 
pany, entered New Yoik bay and 
sailed up the North River. In 1614 a 
trading Dost was established on Man- 
hattan I-^land and cur great metropolis 
was born. In 1623 a permanent agri- 
cultural sett'emeut was made and in 
1628 a church w«s organized which 
has had a continuous existence to this 
day and is with reason supposed to be 
the oldest Protestant church on this 
eoiitinent. Other churehes of Hol- 
lasidi-rs and Huguenots were established 
along the Hudson and Mohawk and in 
New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The 
German branch of the Reformed church 
entered later and was built up princip- 
ally in Pennsylvania. Now this coun- 
tfsj was settled largely by the children 
cf this German, Huguenot and Dutch 
ancestry, coming from New Jersey and 
Pennsylvania. They are staunch ad- 
herents of the faitn of their fathers. 
We have referred to the church founded 
by Rev. Jdin Lindsley iu 1800. It 
was organized as the First Presby- 
terian Church of Ovid, and was the 
first society iu the town of Ovid, then 
compii-sing also the towns of Lodi and 
Covert. A large element in its mem- 
bership were of Reformed lineage. 
And it was not strange that, in 1809, 



21 



after four years of occasional missionary 
uiiiijistraiioiis during the vacancy of the 
pulpit, its jiHiliHiiitii WHS irfUHfiUTt'd to 
the clashes ot MoiitiiOiiK-ry of the Re- 
foinud Church and the Rev. Abr^iham 
BroKavv became its sellltd pnstDr. 
Uutlor Ills guidance it prospered grenily 
and its meoibership grew to over two 
hundred. 

Everyihing went well until 1822, 
when the church was rent by that 
secession movement from the Re- 
formed (jliuicli that r3«iulted in the 
foraiing of the True llefonued Cimnh. 
The pastor, a mNJority of the < tticers 
and but a miniTity of the coiigieiratinn 
joined the secessioo. Litigation over 
the property followed until the value 
of it was eaten up by legal cos's. But 
the title was awHided to that larger 
part of the congregation that held to 
the old ecclesiastical name and rela- 
tions. 

Beine in need of a church home, it 
WJts d*'ci<>td to buil^in the village of 
Lodi, upou the feite where the present 
(difice stands. It was at this time 
that the congregMtiou of the old log 
church, of which we have spoken, 
aided in the erec tiou of a new housn of 
woiship and shart-d its privdegns. It 
was afterwards merged into ttie Lodi 
Reformed Church 

Ii was about this time, also, that the 
pastor of the L'xii church btgau to till 
a reguhir appointment at Ffirmerville. 
The old church had been situHted on 
the road, one mile north of the high- 
way b^^tween Lodi and Farmer, and 
ab"Ut halfway between the two lo- 
calities, 80 that the inhabitants of the 
vicinity nfiturally drawn to that church 
could r»adiiy «ttend. After the re- 
moval to Lodi, it became necessary for 
the preacher to bring his message to 
thtiui in their own village. This event- 
ually resulted in the organization of 
another Reformed Church in Faruier, 
in November 1830, which, with the 
Baptist Church of the same village, 
orgair'zf'd ten years earlier from the 
mother church at Cnvert has beeu the 
center cf christian influence and power 
for good in that C( mmnnity. 

The church that was organized as 
the True Dutch Church by those who 



seceeded from the old mother church 
in ]822 erected a house of worship 
about one-half mile east of the old 
edifice. Dumine BroKaw continued his 
ministry there uuiil 1838, when he was 
BucceedHd by Rev. Arcliihald RlcNiel 
until 1865. he was ttie last pastor, 
and the church he had served so long 
and fadhfully t)ecame known locally 
as the McNiel Church. The society 
flnady disl>anded, and the building was 
taken down ahout 1876. Nothing 
now remains to mark the site of either 
of thnne two Old churches exci^pt the 
little grave \ard in the vicinity which 
is now seldom used. 

It may be well to insert a few iJems 
of historical interested closely con- 
nected with the life of this early Re- 
formed Church iif the old town of Ovid, 
in the present town of Lodi. The first 
settler in what is now the town of 
Lodi was George Fansett, who locaied 
directly upon Sullivan's trail. He be- 
came a member of this church, and 
hi.s daughter v/as the fir^t child born in 
the town, probably in the county 
Silas Halsey, another early arrival in 
this section, and staunch friend and 
supporter of this church, built the 
first grist mill in the county, gave the 
plot of ground for the first church 
edifice and for a cemetery, and served 
88 the fiiSt county clerk. The first 
public religious services known to have 
been held in this county were held in 
1794 at the house of Abraham Covert, 
in the town of Oeid. He was a Jersey- 
man and a faithful son of the Reformed 
Church. 

There is an interesting incident re- 
lated in connection with the marriage 
of his son. ''It was the fir.-«t marriatre 
which took place in the to>79n. It oc- 
curred in 1793, was a triple marriage. 
The parties were Abraham A. Covert 
and Catherine Covert, Joseph Wilson 
and Anna Wyckofl\ Enoch Covert and 
Jane Stewart They were oblijred to 
cross Seneca Lake to find a justice au- 
thorized to perform the ceremony " 

A little later than their Dutch cousins 
from New Jersey settled in Ovid, 
Germans from Penuj^ylvania, with a 
few from the fatherland, began mak- 
ing homes for themselves in the town 



22 



of Fa3'eite. They brought with iheiu 
the sauie love for the iielorujcd frdlli 
of iheir fathers nial their same respeci 
for educaliuii, and enrly hiiilt Uui 
church aud sehoui. I'be first cJeigy- 
mau to (settle lu llie towu of i^.nj^tte 
W!ts the liev. Anlhouy HorUy' of tlie 
GeraiHii lieforuitd Clunch, vvlio tuok 
up his vesidiriu'e lliert. just oue hnndrt-d 
jeartj aj^o, 1804. B-fure his coiuiujj, 
this comuiuuiLy, wilh others in tlie 
cuuiity, had eiijnytd oecasioiial prench- 
iug seivices iu scliool i>uiidiiigs, b>iriis 
aiid private houses. For several years 
after bis eouuujj; he served the people 
iu thb eiipacity of pastor, preaehiug iu 
the (jreruiau lauguage, iu the Biirgn 
school houst) aud ai the resideuce nf 
Heury Singer at Beftrytovrn. Piuaiiy, 
ou beceu.ber 26, 1809, ilie l:r-.t at- 
tempt at formal ehuich or><auizatiou 
was made at a uie*tiug of Gi rmau lif- 
foxuitd aud Lutherau re.^sideats at tlie 
Burgh school house. This is the origni 
of the 'jldtst existiug ehurch org(<itizH- 
liou in the tuwu of F.'iyelte. Steps 
were euon tali en to provide for a suit- 
able house of worship to be used tiy 
bulb denouiiuHiioiis, aud proimbly e;irlj' 
ill 1813 the Ituiidiug was dedicaled. 
It vpas a log structure 22 by 28 teet, 
buitt upou the site of ilie present stone 
edifice of tlie Christ Reformed Con- 
gregation at B« arytuwn. Rev. 
Hon&littd a preachiug station also at 
WesP Fayette, fmm which Jerusa'em 
Church was formed iu the summer of 
1811. (It appears also from denomi 
national records that tlie town of Friy. 
efte was visited ft»r a period of years, 
1817 to 1825, by misnictnaries seut c>ut 
by the Dutch Reformed Ciiunh, l)ut no 
permaueut church orgnuizatiou resulted 
from their labors ) No sketch of this 
Reformed Churcti iu Fnyette would l)e 
complete without allusion to one of its 
pastorates, remarkable as the longest 
in the auuals of the count}^ and seldom 
surpassed iu the recojd of any churiMi. 
I refer to the ministry of Rev. Diedricih 
Willers. D. D., who for a period of 
nearly sixty one years, from 1821 to 
1882, served this church. His work 
was larjjely that of a pioneer pastor. 
Beside his duties to his own people he 
served also at difterent times at six 



other places iu the county aud at seven 
or eiglJt other points in Tompkins, Cay- 
uga, VVa;yne, l^ivingston and Ningara 
couiiiies, pirformin^j; a large portion 
of the travel, iucident to so exteuded a 
field of iaiior, on horsaback, iu the 
early years of his ministry. The power 
of the ehurish iu any community is 
largely commensurate wilh the personal 
fokce of its representatives, that is, its 
numbers, above all its ministry. The 
influence of one such sturdy, inde- 
fatigable, devout leader in a eoni- 
mui.Jty for so long a period is simply 
inestimable and far surpast-es, in the 
depth of th«^ impression it makes, the 
strongest influence of shorter pas- 
toiates however brilliant or impressive. 
The impress of that one character, 
uohie and faithful, identified so closely 
with all that the church stands for, so 
con.spicuously before the e^es of men, 
puts a st^Hup upon the life within its 
radius that eudures for g'euerations. 
Aud the church that furnishes such a 
center of religious life is an estimable 
factor in the development of a town's 
life aud gives it strong claiujs upou the 
respect aud gratitude of tbe piuple. 

The only other Reformed Church 
in the county besides these three I have 
mentioned, is that at T^re, which was 
orjiauized in 1835, as the result of a 
union with a Presbyterian Church 
formed in the vicinity a few years be- 
fore. The date of i's fonnntiou is too 
late to include it among the e«rly 
churches to which my paper is limited. 

This resume of the churches of this 
order reveals the fact that, although 
they have not become nummerous 
within our territory, they have been 
infliieutifd in thf* life of the county 
from the beginning of its history, inti- 
mately associated as they were with 
the first thiui?;s of its life, but also of 
our st*ite and county. 

In the time allotted for this paper, 
it has been impos-^ible to do more than 
toucb upon tlie beginning of the church 
life of our county, although one is 
strongly templed to go more into de- 
tail, and digress into paths thit would 
lead u«i among the daily surroundings 
of our fathers, aud to show them in 
their hardships and their triumphs 



23 

which their sturdy relig'ioue faith sin- ing them to brin^ their faith and zefll 
ewcd ihcin to bear. It is only by a to this vir<^iii v.'ild<-inesfl of forest and 
lew finishes of lij^tit upon the scnun mor.'iss as tlieir fathers had broucfht 
Ih^t 1 have atteuaptid to help you ent^^r th^m to tliese untried nhores, 80 ni'iy 
by ima^-inalion into ihcir e uly ating- it abide in us. the source of that in- 
gles, ihefe men and wouk n of inde- telli<.;;i'nt and virtuous mnnhood which 
faiigable labor, undaunted courage, must ever be ihe bed roek of perman- 
and nndoubiint;, failli, laid the found- ency for our American insHtutions. 
at'or:' of our pvesent luxurious and Hand in hand wit in the school that pro- 
comfi'riabh^ livint,^ of our hopeful out- m"tes the intelligence which a free 
look on thi! fu'ure, an<i of our trii.sling people alway.s need for ?eif-p,overn- 
upl.iok find ui'rf'ach for things of the ment, and with the court which m?<in- 
spirit that make for riirh'eonsneas, love tains and adtninisters laws of equ'ty 
and iieaee. As the s[)irit of the Eng ami j'.isiice, innst. go the church which 
Iish Puritan, and tlm Scotch Couven fosters that regard for virtue and right, 
enter, nnd the French flugcnot, and and that faith t'lat purififs and enpo'des 
III*' , sturdy Dutchman, and his phlcg- tlie life whi(di us(»3 the unexeelhid 
nuitic German brother lived in the privtdeges our civiliza'Ion puts into our 
early settlers of this county, prouipt- hands. 



Preservation of Private and Public 

Records. 



By Dr. William Austin Macy. 



We must assume that the preser- 
vaUon of privfite and publio records is 
of ituporUtnci' to th\-> imiividual and to 
the slate. If we do not, then wh?t 
have we for the histoiiau to bti^e his 
account of the tiicesi in which we live, 
and too, without a bis'ory. is not a 
people without the incentive to right 
Jiving and thinking in many ways. If 
we live without recording what will 
point out the differences between us 
and those who have gone before or 
those who come after, are we not then 
living to a great extent as the trees 
live, and who shall tell the tale when 
time rolls around. 

From the earliest times we have yet 
to look for a people who did not in 
some way seek to preserve their own 
histories, not only trilial but the^ per- 
sonal histories of the families which 
made up the aggregation of people. 
For only do we find by tradition and 
written history that private and public 
histories of men and their times have 
been handed down, but all along the 
way, as far bsck as we can go, we find 
examples of the greatest and best of 
pei^ple encouraging us to kef^p our bis 
tories, and in modern times the great- 
est of our citizens have encouraged 
those around them to emulate the p:ist 
and do better in this respect. 

In a country where the elementary 
population has changed to the extent 
that ours has, and where even greator 
changes are likely to take place in the 
fuUire, it would seem that if we would 
have the posterity of a few generations 
know anything at all about their for- 
bears more attention than has often 
exerted would have to used, or they 
would be a nameless race among those 
who would have a history. 
Possibly the best use for the preser- 



vation of family history or genealogy, 
is to serve to stimulate those who come 
after to right hvin;^ and to vie with 
thost^ who iiave gone betore in living 
so that clean records and liverj of much 
u.^efu!neBS to their lellowmen, may be 
the records that wdl be written. Let 
a man have ever so iiuii^h of this 
world's goods and jet how much of it 
CHu be r< ally ust-d for his actual necea- 
silies? If our American people are al- 
ways too interested in the making of 
money only, what of the responsibilities 
of the use of what is It^ft behind by 
those who have acquired? 

What have we to say of the rational 
incentive to get ahead in the world in 
thfi average individual? No matter 
how ambitious the individual may be, 
together with whatever he d"es or 
succee<is to, runs the responsibility of 
the individual in the many other di- 
rections of life. If he shakes them off 
he is only one-sided and he lives the 
most selfiah and soidid life. He lives 
only to himself, losing in this the very 
best that would othtn'wise come to him. 
That we make comparisons then, a 
history is necessary, and it is of use to 
preserve for the future a record of kin- 
ship and ancestry, that it may be help- 
ful in these ways and aiany more which 
I will not take the time to point out 
now. 

When we stop to ascertain what has 
been done in preserving private and 
public records we are at once struck 
with the fact thnt today there is ten 
times and more the interest in these 
matters than there was only a few 
years ago. That this is due in large 
part to the formation of our various 
patriotic and colonial societies is prob- 
ably true, but this has been helpful in 
two ways. It has stimulated actual 



25 



putriotism and helped to make our 
men and wotnon better citizens because 
they have had a greater pride in thfiir 
country. It has also caused them to 
study in more detail what has helped 
to make the greatness of this our coun- 
try and to glory mure than they ever 
thought of doing in the good deeds of 
their ancestors. All this has immed- 
iately required that if they knew who 
their forbears were, that their records 
should be preserved and those of us 
who have taken interest in these matters 
from a love of history, etc., have 
watched with much pleasure this 
growth of interest in these directions. 
The tendency formerly was to give 
too little care to any records or docu- 
meiits when (hey were once through 
with for the time being, and we tind in 
making our inquiries into these matters 
that any kind of a place is usually pro- 
vided for all kinds of public and pri- 
vate records until the public conscience 
is awakened and they learn how easily 
these things disappear and are lost to 
the future. Often have we found and 
are to find that even in the case of 
county and other very important records 
including court records, that at such a 
time all were burnt up, find the col- 
lection of years consumed in snioke 
I I'eraember reading a letter from a 
corrfspondent in the Island of Jamaica, 
that at a certain time when their 
Island was under martial law. the 
Governor ordered many loads of the 
rarest papers relating to the Island's 
history to be turned into the Rio Cobre, 
one of their principal rivers, with the 
words. <'Away with the accursed past.'' 
Yet the memory of the past is one of 
those things which encourages us most 
to trust to the consolations of religion 
and live so that the review at the end 
of life will be to our credit rather than 
the reverse. 

Little by little we are gathering up 
and caring for our historic relics. All 
over the counti-y historical societies are 
doing good work and wo are only doing 
in this country that which is being done 
tne world over. In Massachusetts, an 
enabling act has been had which assists 
them in gradually getting the vital 
statistics of all their towns placed in 



print and preserved, and these are be- 
ing issued to such subscribers, includ- 
ing public libraries, etc at the nominal 
sum of a cent a page, including bind- 
ing. A move is bemg made to get the 
other New England States to do the 
same thing and it is to be hoped that 
all of our own early records will one 
day be placed in print, so that those 
studying the early colonial history, 
will have less difficulty in getting actual 
facts on which to build. 

In the matter of collecting family 
history the society to do the most and 
best work is the New York Genealog- 
ical and Biographical Society, of New 
York State. This society has its head- 
quarters at New York City, where it 
has its own fire-proof building and fire- 
proof vaults, and it has supplemented 
the work done by the New York His- 
torical Society atid the other hi-itorical 
societies of the state by collecting as 
much of strictly family history as has 
been possible. I have had the honor 
for a few years past to represent this 
Society iu Seneca County as a member 
of their Rosearch Committee, and it 
was one of the purposes of my attend- 
ance at your anniversary meeting to 
say to your members how much our so- 
ciety is interested in all historical work, 
particularly in the preservation of 
family histories, and how glad they 
would be through myself to receive 
such historical notes of any of the 
families of this district as might be 
prepared and submitted for preser- 
vation. I have had some very inter- 
esting notes given me of this kind and 
I am promised more and I would at 
all times be glad to act in bringing 
any work of this kind before our So- 
ciety and in seeing that it is preserved 
for the future use of the many others 
who would thus acquire a larger op- 
portunity for consulting what they 
would naturally look to such a repos- 
itory of such information and expect 
to tind more easily, as it accumulates, 
than in the hands of private individuals 
where it is more likely to be lost or 
destroyed. I would then ask that 
those who would desire to save family 
genealogies as may have been compiled, 
family bible records which in time dis- 



26 



appear, and other historical information 
wljich i8 worthy of being perpetuated, 
should send me neatly mnde copies tor 
the purpose of thfir being deposited 
with the cenlrjd society and will as.-iist 
in any way possible such as aie desir 
ons of s! acting inforuiation. if they will 
be good enou::h in writing to enclose 
return postaj^e thai the burden may 
not be too much one way. 

In listening to the uinny interesting 
particulars of the Hon. Mr. Willers' 
most interesting paper, and in consider 
ing the work you are attempting to do 
in Seneca County, I am strucii with the 
fact that there does not seem to be any 
vtry general move to collect from all 
sources systematic^ally, but only from 
your one town. Considering that you 
have a sister society in Waterloo, I 
think it is a pity thnt a move cannot 
be made to form a general county so- 
ciety, whose membership should ex- 
tend to ail who might be interested in 
your work, including the descendants 
of former residents of Seneca County 
Such societies do a much larger woik, 
and by charging a nominal fee which 
all would feel tlicy could aliord, it is 
possible to collect from so large a 
number if any proper interest is de- 
veloped, that a good publication fund 
can be established and sou)ething 
really well gotten up can be presented 
each year to the members, and dis 
burs* d at an increase iu i)rice to such 
others as may show interest and want 



copies of the Collestions of the Society. 
A number of eueh societies are under 
way and doiug excellent work and 
many more will undoubtedly be formed 
&» tune pro;-:resses. 

Why not test the public interest in a 
suggestion of this kind and S'^e whether 
chapters of a few active workers can 
not be estublished in each town, who 
can work with the officers of the cen- 
tral society in collecting systematically 
what would be pbieed in print at the 
end of each yeai? I am of the opinion 
that a movement of this kind would 
awaken considerable interest and I 
know i-ersonally of one or mo»"e col. 
lections already, of matters of much 
interest, which would probably be eon- 
tri'.'utions towards estnblishing a col- 
lection in which Seneca Couuty would 
feel a special pride. Personally I 
would prefer to see sny collection of 
relics of historic value given to the 
lar>;est pnbbc library which might 
become estaldished in the county, pro- 
vid' d always that this was a lire p'^oof 
buihiing with other facilities for stor- 
inir Mss given to it, etc 

I have suggessed tb?it this matter be 
opened to discussion in the papers of 
the county, and if sufficient interest to 
jnstifv US is manifested, that sonte of 
iifi get together and see what can be 
done in really establishing a movement 
that fIuiU react to the credit and re- 
nown of Seneca County. 



Judiciary of the Connty of Seneca. 



BY HON. JOHN E. RICHARDSON. 



On the 20th day of April 1777. the 
representatives of iLe State of New 
Y'iik assembled at Kiiig.-iton and 
adopted the first Conslitiitiuu of the 
State of New York. Under thai. « on- 
stitulion the Conuty Judge or th*^ first 
Judge of the County of Soueca were 
appointed officers. The 23rd sub-divi 
sion of said Constitution provides 
that all officers, oiher than those who 
by this constitution «re directed to be 
otherwise appointed, shall be ap- 
pointed iu the manner following, to- 
wit: The Assembly shall once in each 
year, openly noaiiuate and aj)point 
one of the Senators from each great 
disuict, which Senator will form a 
council for the appoinimeut of the 
said officers, and which the Govt-ruor 
for the time being sl)all be president 
and have a cas'ing vote, but 'no other 
vote; and with the advice and con- 
sent of said Council shall appoint all 
the said officeis. 

That the first Judge of the (^'o-juty 
Court in every County shall hold 
office during good beliavior or until 
they bhall have attained the age of 
sixty years. This provision continued 
in force until 1822 when said consii- 
itution wns amended enpoweiin^ the 
Governor with the consent of the Sen- 
ate to make such judicial ftppoiniments 
find such appointive powir continued 
until said c 'n.«titutiiin was amended by 
Chapter 276 of the laws of 1847, 
which provides for ilie electiai on the 
8th d ly of June foUnwing of a County 
Judi^e who shal enter up^ n the duties 
of his office July 1st following his elec- 
tiou and hoM office fur theteim of lour 
J ears from tue 1st day of jKnuary 
next ; ami, after the expirfition of the 
term of office of thor^e tiitt elected the 
term of office of said offi.;er shall be 
four years. 

By virtue of the power c-nferr^d 
upon said Council of Apprintment 



Cornelius Humphrey was the first 
judge appointed in and for the Couikty 
of Seneca and the following is a copy 
of tiie certificale showing his appoint- 
ment:— for which I Jim indebted to 
Hon. J. B. II. Mongin, Deputy Secre. 
tary of State. 

"At a me-Ming of the Council of 
Ajipointm* n! held at the Chambers of 
His Excellency the Governor, in tiie 
City of Albany on Monday, the 2nd 
day of April. 1804. 

Present, his Excellency George 
Climon, Esquire. Pn-sident. 

The Honorable John Broome, Caleb 
Hvde, Thomas Tredwell, Et-.qrs. 
Members. 

R*'8olved, thatagenerfil coiwralssion 
issue for the County of Seneca, that 
the following persons he and they are 
hereby appointed Civil Offloers of said 
county, viz, 

Cornelius Humphrey, Grover Smith, 
John Sayse, Judg<s and Justices of the 
Peace. 

Jouns Whiting of Ulysses, J«mes 
Van Horn of Ovid, Asa Smith of 
Romulus, Bt'.naJMh Boardmau of Wash- 
ington, {is-u8far)t justices and justices. 
Justic<^s of the Peace, James Jack- 
son, Stephen Woodworth, John 'Vown- 
send, Jr , Ovid; I homns Shepnidsou, 
Ulysses ; D.iniel Evens, Hector; Joiin 
Hood, Washington; lewis Birdsall, 
Jt sse Southwick, Junius. 

Jared Suuford, Surrogate; Silas Hal- 
sey, County Clerk; William Smith, 
Sheriff; Charles Thompson, Coroner. 
Geo. Clinton, 
Jno Broome 
Caleb H\de. 
Thom IS Tredwell. 
Judge Humphrey served with honor 
uud distinction un'il May, 1809, as is 
shown by the lecords of the Court of 
this County. He was born in 1735; 
he served as colonel in the Revolut- 
i- nary war and was a member of the 



28 



Second Provincial Congress and as a 
Representative from Dutchess County 
in the Senate and Assembly. He csme 
to Seneca County about the year 1801 
and located in what is now known as 
the town of Ul>sses and represented 
this county in the Ass- lubly 1806-07. 

The first court iu the County of 
Seneca was held in the house of John 
Seeley on lot No. 3 in the town of 
Ovid, and held there almost contin- 
uously until May, 1807, at which time 
court was adjourned to the first Tues- 
day in October to the Court House iu 
the town of Ovid, but when court con- 
vened the Court House was not com- 
pleted and the court was adjourned to 
the hoiise of John Seeley and coutnued 
to adjourn from time to time to the 
house of John Seeley until the second 
Tuesday of May, 1808, when th^ first 
court was held in the Court House in 
the village of Ovid. The judges hold- 
ing said court were Cornelius Hum- 
phrey, tirst judge, Grover Smith, John 
bayre and Benjauiiu Pelton. 

The hrst court held in Waterloo 
w^as a Term of the General sessions of 
the Peace, May 12, 1818, and wms pre 
side.d over by Justices John Sayre, John 
Burton and Benjamin Hendricks and 
were so held until March 29, 1822, 
when au act was passed by the Legis- 
lature which provided, 

''That the several couris nf tiie 
common pleas, general sessions of the 
peace, circuit courts and oyer and ter- 
miner, hereafter to be holden in and 
for the County of Seneca, shill ba held 
alternately at tlie court house in the 
town of Ovid, and at the cdurt house 
in the towu of Junius; and that the 
next May term of the court of com 
mon pleas and general sessions of the 
peace, in and for said county, shall be 
held at the court house in the town of 
Ovid ; and all writs and process what- 
soever, returnable in said courts, at 
the n«xt day May term thereof, shall 
be taken and deemed returnable at the 
said court house in the towu of Ovid ; 
and all persons who are or shall be 
bound or required to appear at the 
said next Ma)^ term of the said courts, 
or either of them, by bond, recog- 
nizance, or otherwise shall be taken, 



deemed and considered, io be bound 
and required to appenr at the court 
house in the town of Ovid, aforesaid, 
and the first circuit court and oyer and 
terminer, to be held for tiu- naid county 
shall be held at the oourl house in the 
town of Junius " 

''That from and after the p issage of 
this act, there shall be two jury dis- 
tricts in the county of bfjneca, the first 
to comprise the towns of Covert, Ovid 
and Roamlus, and the so ond tbe towns 
of Fayette, Junius, Gal«n and Wolcott ; 
and the cleric of said county sii;.!! kewp 
the names of the Jurors in such districts 
separate, and the jurors sliajl be drawu 
for each court, from the jury district 
iu which the court is to be held." 

''That it shall not be lawful for the 
supervisors of the said couiuty to sell 
the court house in the town of Ovid, 
or the lot of land on wiiich the same 
stands, any law heretofore made to 
the contrary notwithstanding " 

The county court until the adoption 
or the Constituiion in 1846 was divided 
into two branches, one kuowu as the 
Court of Common Pleas which had 
juriscli( tion of Civil Matters and a 
Criminal Court called General Sessions 
of the Peace; the other court to wtiich 
we have the honor of referring to is 
the Surrogate's Court. 

May 31st 1809, Benjamin Pelton was 
appointed ^>6i judge and served until 
1812. He came to the town of 
Ulysses about 1802. He served as a 
captain of the Revolutionary War and 
died iu Ithaca about 1830. 

Oiver C. Comstock was appointed 
first judiie May, 1812, and served un- 
April 13, 1815. Judge Comstock was 
a man representing three professions, 
a doctor, lawyer and minister. He 
served Seneca county as Member of 
Assembly and as a representative in 
Congress afterwards served as Chaplain 
of Congress. Judge Comstock was 
born in Warwick. Kent County, Rhode 
Island. He died at the home of his 
son iu Mar^ihall, Calhoun County, 
Michigan. January 11, 1860. 

Judge Comstock was succeeded 
April 13, 1815, by John Knox who 
served until June 18, 1818. Judge 
Knox died August 1, 1853, aged about 



29 



seventy years. He was a man of 
much leflrniog and it has been said of 
bill! iliat his succe8.i was 1/trgtly due 
to bis magnetic pei^onnliiy and judg- 
ment displaytd in hi.s business Com- 
uiou s^nse was bis motto in cdudueting 
cases rhtbtT tban couiumu law, hnd he 
libe most of the eKrly praitiiioners took 
great deligbt in aiding a young man 
rather than dis(iour«giiig bim. 

On June 18, 1818, John McL' an, 
Jr., was a(jpoioied to said p.isilion and 
served until January 30, 1823. 

Luiher Stevens snceeded John Mc 
Ltan, Jr., J/aui-iry 30, 1823, and served 
until March 13, 1833. 

March IS, 1833, Jesse Clarke was 
appointed lo that b"nor*^d position and 
served until July 1, 1847. Judge 
Clark was born in Berkshire County, 
Mass , where he acquired, chi< fly 
throU|\'.h his own efforts as a teacher, a 
liberal eduCHtion. He came to V\ ater- 
looin 1814, and comnn.nced ttie practica 
of law, and soon, by his bupenor tal 
ents and education rose to an envial)ie 
prominence and sutcess in his pro- 
fession. At th« elecilois under the Con- 
stitution of 1821 lie was chosen one of 
the senators for the western district 
He di.-d May 20, 1849. 

In July 1847, the term of J.tmes K. 
Ri;h;irdson, the first elective county 
judge of the coumy of S>ueca com- 
menced. He strvfcd until Janu?iry 1, 
1852. Judge Kiciiard-ion wai born at 
West Burlington, Otsego county, in this 
State, October 3, 1806, and died at 
Waterloo, October 9, 1875. firming 
my fitther I tli'iughi 1 would much 
rather spread upon this paper the 
thoughts of the memhers of the Bar 
of the County of Seneca rather than 
my otvu estimate of the man, but to 
my utter astonishment I tiud that the 
r. cords of the proceeding of the courts 
of this county, from the time my father 
was elected to the present, c^'Utained 
memorial articles relating to every 
judge who has departed this life ex- 
cept James K Rnlmrdson. I find in 
an issue of the Waterloo Oi>server 
the we^k that my father died that the 
members of the bar assembled at the 
ofiice of Judge Hadley and they then 
chose Judge Hadley, William H. Bur- 



ton E-q., and Charles A. Hawley, Esq., 
a committee to draft and present resol- 
utions to the next term of court I 
cannot bdieve that the committee 
failed to do their duty as I believe 
Judge Kichard-on was honored and 
respected by all, and the only excuse 
I can find is that the county clerk was 
too tired at that time to record the 
proceedings of the committee and the 
court in adopting tlieir kind words. 
I do tiud m the edition of the Water- 
loo Observer above referred to. the 
following: 

"Judge James K. Richardson was 
born in Otsego coubty, in 1806. In 
obedience to tiie wights of his father, 
who was a ph\siciaii of note in that 
county, he studied medicine, but on the 
very day that he attained the age of 
of twenty -one years, he relinquished 
all idea of following that profession 
which W6S d;sia6teful to him, came to 
Waterloo and commenced reading law 
in the offico of Messrs. Samuel Clark 
and Daniel Ruggles. Shortly after he 
was called to the bar, he left for the 
west, but retuniLd to New Yoik State 
iu a year or two afterwards, opening 
an oftioo at Sodus, Wayne county, and 
continued practicing law in that county 
for five years. IMr. Somuel Clarke, 
the same under whom he had studied 
law, then offered him a partnership in 
his business in Waterloo which the 
deceased accepted, and^lhe has ever 
since resided here. Iu politics Mr. 
Richardson was always a very strong 
Republicm, and for many years he con- 
tributed veryihirgely to the Seneca Falls 
Courier, a fact not generally known. 
He '^was elected county judge at the 
first election under the new constit- 
ution of 1^6, and in the twofold ca- 
pacity of judge ami surrogate he earned 
for hinuelf a true record of honesty and 
uprightness, and here we may use the 
expression made to us yesterday by one 
of the oldest of the bar in Seneca 
Count j\ 'that he was an honest and 
upright man as ever livid, profess- 
ionally or otherwise." He made a 
most excelb'ut surrojj;ate. always care- 
ful and accomuKidating, he was per- 
fectly competent and was remarkable 
for the methodical way iu which his 



30 



papers were always kept." 

•Tmijjn Ricbardaon was fjucceeded by 
-joliii E See.ley who served fr'-'u Jau- 
uary 1, 1852 to Jauuacy 1856. Judge 
Strcley died March 30, 1S75. He re- 
ceivi'd bis ncid'-ixiieal edui'silion at the 
Ovid Acadtmy, under the tuition of 
A'iliiam rviu, after wnicli he pstssed 
ihrough a lull course "? stuily at Yale 
College, where lie grjUj,i.\*.ed iu 1835. 
He then studied law iu tbia village at 
the tffice of llou Jobn Maviiard 
About the year 1836 or '37 he located 
at Monroe. Michigan, but returned to 
Ovid iu 1839. Iu the campaiga (^f 
1840, be wa.s a very active Hjirriaou 
ujau — was cbaiiman of the town coui- 
miitee. In 1842, he was supervisor of 
the town Iu 1848, be acted wiib the 
"Free Soil" party, aad iu 1857 was 
elected Judge of the county by the 
united vote of the Democratic and 
Free Soil Party, running ninety stveu 
votes ahead of bi8 ticket iu this town, 
He represented this district in the first 
Republican National Couvention, and 
was the |frfsideulial elector fur this 
district ui 1860, and again in 1864 and 
elected to Congress in 1870; was a 
trnstte of VVillard Asylnia nud I think 
president of tbe hoard from its nrgau- 
izaiiou, until after be was elected to 
Cougret^s, wheti he resigned. In tvery 
station of life he was always to be 
trusted. In all public enterprise he 
took an active part, and when money 
was to be raised, he was genera'ly at 
the bead of tbe list. He was an un- 
comprising foe to slavery ; the black 
man h.i^sd no truer fritnd. 

Stejlirg G. Hadley sucopeded Judge 
Seeley and served uutd 1860. Judge 
riadley wfis born iu the town of G-shen, 
Litcbfit-ld County, Conn, August 26, 
18I2, and died at Waterloo, September 
1, 19(»1. His early yearn were passed 
in diii^ rent places where the fauiily re- 
sided, and be fitted for college at Egre- 
niont Academy. In 1833 be entered 
Union College; at Scheueciady, N. Y., 
from which he graduated in 1836, and 
af'erward he tausrbt iu thn Avon 
Springs Academy. April 1, 1837, he 
came to Walerioo. where he since re- 
sided. He read law with Hon Samuel 
Birdsall and was admitted to the bar 



in 1839, after which he was in partner- 
ship with his former piv;ceptor for four 
jefirs. Later, forming a p«rinersbip 
with John McAllii^ter, he continued 
with that gentlemen under tbe iirm 
title of McAllister & Hadley, until the 
death of tbe former. For ten years 
he was Justice of the Peace, but re- 
signed upon his election as County 
Judge and Surrngnte for a term of 
four years. Nor did bis public service 
end here. Oa tbe Democratic ticket 
he was elected a member of tbe Lower 
House of the Lfgialature. The Gover- 
nor tendered bicu tbe appnintmeut of 
State As-iessnr, whiah position he held 
for several years, and which took him 
into evex'y county of the state. He 
was al'^o president of tbe Board of 
Managers of the State Hospital located 
on Seneca lake. 

In 1859 George Franklin was elected 
county judge; be was re-elected in 
1867 and again in 1877 and served 
fourteen years. Judge Fraiikdn was 
born in tbe town of Idector, December 
8, 1819 and died iu the village of Ovid 
April 24, 1886. He was an upright, 
conscientious man, a father aud friend 
to tbe young practitioner, more than 
wilting to aid him in bis work and we 
do nor, think that the worth of Judge 
Franklin and the loss that was sns- 
tauied in bis death can be any better 
expressed than was done by Hon. Gil- 
bert Wile >xen, Frederick L. Manning, 
Cbtirles A. Hawley, William C. Hazel- 
ton and John E Richardson, a com- 
mittee appointed April 28, 1886 by 
tbe Seneca County Bar to express their 
thoughts on tbe occasion of the death 
of Judge Franklin which reads as 
follows: 

'In the death of Hon. George 
Frhnklin the bar has sustained no 
common loss. Three times elected 
Judge and Surrogate of Seneca County 
be discharged the important duties of 
the cflice with rare fidelity and abilitv. 
He possessed and deserved the confi- 
dence of the bar and the people for 
he was a judge without fear and with- 
out reproach. He had au eminently 
logical and judicial mind and bis de- 
cisions were almost uniformly sound 
and correct. He was not technical but 



31 



based his judicial action upon broad 
and eqviitable principles. 

As a lawyer he, won the afimirafion 
and rfgnrd of liis brethren and of hi«i 
clients as vvll- 

He was a man of wiiie and vavif-d 
attainments. The classics were tlie 
delights of his leisure hours; and he 
was intimately acqu-^inted with what is 
best and brightest in English literature. 

But we who have known him so 
long and so well delight to remember 
him not only as the ju?t and upright 
judge and the able and honest lawyer 
but to recall the charm of his manner, 
the warmth of his heart and hie unusual 
aceompHshraenls in social life. We 
shall cherish the memory of his genial 
presence and in all the years to come 
shall feel our loss. 

We tender to his family and to the 
community where he was best known 
and loved and honored our sympathy 
ir Qis hour of sorrow." 

Grilhert Wilco'sen, 
Fredirifik L. Manning 
Char'es A. Hawley 
William V. H'lzelton 
«John E. RieliHrdson, 
Committee. 

Seneca County Court May 25, 1889. 

Pr* sented and read in oper? c^urt and 
motion orderf^v entered upon the min- 
vtes of the court, and so entered. 

Abratn Wilson, Di'p. Clerk. 

In 1863 Josiah T. Miller was elected 
and entered upon the duties of the 
office and served the people until 
January 1, 1868. Judge Josiah T. 
Miller was born in April 1820 in 
Parry Co., Pa.; he came to Seneca 
County at an early age and in 1850 and 
1859 served the county as District At- 
torney ; in 1860 he was apftointed on 
the stnfF of Governor Seymour and \n 
1869 he represented the county in the 
Assembly ; and my feeble words can 
not express the loss to the Bar of the 
County of Seneca in the death of 
Jndge Miller as do the proceedings of 
the committee appoint^nl to do honor to 
his memory and for that rnason I give 
in full the proceedings of the County 
Court as shown by the record. 



death "\ 

T. Millr-r ) 



"In re the death 
of 

Hon. Josiah 

In honor to the meusory of Josinh 
T. Miller deceased. the following 
r«!SoIutiou<3 were introduced by Jasper 
N. Hammond, Attorney at Luw, Seu- 
ecr Falls, N. Y., 

Whereas, The Bir of Sf-ncca 
County are grieved to learn of the 
death of Hon. Jo.-iiah Thrrapson Miller, 
at his residence in Waterloo in the 
early morning of I'uesday the 25. h 
instant, and 

Whereas. We deem it fi'ting that 
we should in a puldic manner record 
out deep sorrow for the d.sath of a 
man who lor so many years h«8 been a 
leader of this bar and has had j'villy 
conftrred upon him so many of its 
honors. W« his brethren in the pro- 
fession of the law have therefore, 

Resolved, That w-j bow with rever- 
ence and resignation to the decree of 
Providt'nce that has deprived us of a 
personal and professional frit-nd, and 
in oon)Uion with the comiunnity at large 
mourn his losfi, we recognize Judge 
Miller's distinguished prtifessiou".! abil- 
ity and profound and thorough learn- 
ing in the law. 

To the discharge of the duties of 
his pioft'ssion he brouf'.ht a high sense 
of profysi}ioii;U honor, and a wealth of 
leiial learning and resource. Guided 
by a strong sense of ju' tice, he was 
fearless in the mf.intainance of matured 
opinion. Asa jud^e he was able and 
upright, ever te«>periug justice with 
mercy. He won the respect of the 
Bench and Bar and with all with whom 
he associated. And it is further 

Resolved, That while- we are proud 
of these professional attainments and 
honors of our departed friend which 
in a lars:e sum aie puhlio property we 
gratefully record these private oersonal 
attributes which made so very pleasant 
our intercourse with him. A genial 
and courteous genHtinau he treated 
with consiileration tho opiu'on and re- 
spectt^d the qu'ilities of his equals in 
position at tho Bir and to its younger 
members he was a constant and valued 
friend ever ready to help by wi^e 
counsel, and direct theui with thetreas- 



32 



ures of his large experience. 

To tlie lowly he wfts a eonstant bene- 
factor and no poor man's cause with 
justice in it was ever declined by him. 
And it is further 

Resolved, That to his stricken family 
we tender < ur since! est sympathy in 
their great bereavement. 

Resolved. That this Bar attend the 
funeral of our [riend \n a body and 
that these reBohitiotis he piesented at 
the next term of the Supreme Court ni 
this couuty, and to the next term of 
the Sene«a County Court, and be pub- 
lished in the county Press and a copy 
of the same suitably en^ros?ed be pre- 
sented to the family of the deceas'-d. 
William H. Burton 
Jasper N. Hammond 
John Landon Ivpndig 
('om. of Sen. Co. Bar. 

Tfiese resolutions were adopted by 
and spread upon the minutes of the 
court November 11, 1884. 

Gilbert Wilcoxen was elected county 
judge in 1871 and served for pix years 
and is ono of the two ex county judges 
who IS perndtted to be with us to d?t)'. 
Judge Wilcoxen was born in the town of 
Smithfield, 'Madison Co., N. Y., Septem- 
ber 25, 1828 He moved to Seneca 
Falls in 1839 and graduated from 
Hamilton College in 1852. On leav- 
ing college he selected the legal pro- 
fe^'pion and immediniely entered the 
otBce of the late Judge Millar at Sen- 
eca Fflll^, and was admitted to practice 
in 1854 but did not commence the 
practice of his profession until 1860 ; 
as an attorney and counselor he has 
won great diatinctinn for hie learning 
and ability ; and contrary to the usual 
avocation of an attorney he has been 
president of the Seneca Falls Savings 
BanK for more tbnn twenty years. 
Prior to his election as county judge 
he represented his town, Seneca Falls, 
in the Board of Supervisors. 

In 1883 Peter H. V«n Auken was 
elected county jndge and served six 
years and is the second ex-judge living. 
Judge Van Auken was born in Guilder 
land. Albany County, N. Y. He was 
admitted to the bar at Troy, in 1859, 
from thence he went to Phelps, On- 
tario county, and opened an office. 



He took up his residence at Seneca 
FnUs in 1861 and from 1862 to 1864 
was in bu-tiness with the late Judge 
J\li!!er. Being a very learned miu his 
ability was appreciated by the electors 
from the fact that bef"re being elected 
to the office of county judge, he was 
honored by his town in hnviug been 
chosen Supervisor, Member of the 
Hoard of Education and Justice of the 
Peace and his departure to Rochestf-r, 
his present home, was regretted by all 
who knew him. 

William C. Hazelton was elected 
county judge in 1889 anri served until 
January 1. 1896. Judge H'^z^lton was 
born jn Tompkins county, Sept<=mber 
1, 1835 and divd m the town of Ovid, 
in this county March 2. 1898. He 
followed the life of a fanner until 
abo'jt 1855 when he entered the office 
of D'\na. Beers & Howard of Ithaca 
and wf^s admitted to the bar in 1858. 
In 1862 he was elected district-attorney 
of the county and served three years. 
In 1868 he was re elected and served a 
third term in 1880. In 1873 he was 
elected member if assembly. He was 
a good lawyer, ever striving to make 
the fact3 of anj' matter sutunitted to 
him correspond with the law in the 
matter so that if he brought an action 
he would have the law and facta both 
on his side 

In N<)v^'tnbe^ 1895 John E. Richard- 
son was elected to succeed Judge Hazel- 
t'm and serv* d for six years. And in 
November 1901 the electors, contrary 
to custom, re-elected him to succeed 
himself. 

John E. Richardson was born Septem- 
ber 10, 1846 in the villnge of Waterloo 
in this couutv and attended the common 
school ; in 1866 he entered the office of 
the late Judge Hadley and there gained 
the rudiments of his legal education. 
From Judge Hudley's cfflce he went 
to the Alb«nv Law School graduating 
there in 1868 since which time he has 
been practicing in the village of his 
birth. 

In the early days of the Court of 
Common Pleas and the Court of Ses- 
sions there were associated with the 
first judge, justices of the peace who 
were at times called judges and among 



33 



thone were Garry V. Saokett, Grover 
Smith, Jubu Sfiyre, Willinm Molton, 
Janice Van Ilorii-;, Jared oaiidford, 
liobert Swnrlhou'/roiukins C, l)ol(;Vfiu, 
Joliu Sutton, Jncob L. Larzolere, 
Thomns White, John Mayiiard, David 
Burroujihs, Thomas C Majree, Abra- 
ham Sebring, Joha Burton and Benja- 
min Hendricks 

The only other court which would 
come under the subject of the Judiciary 
of the County of Seneca is the Surro- 
gate's Court. 

The first Surrogate appointed was 
Jarcd Saudfcrd and the first court held 
was in tlie town of Ovid, and the first 
wili admitted to probate was that of 
Is8ae Ilagernmn of Ovid, June 7, 1804. 
And the first letters of admiuistraiiou 
were issued June 10, 1804, on the 
estate of Davitl Kelly, late of the 
town of Ovid, N. Y. Jared Sandford 
was appointed April 2, 1804 and served 
uiilil April 14, 1811, he was re-ap- 
pointed April 6th, 1813 and served 
until February 28, 1815. 

John Sayre wns appointed surrogate 
February 14, 1811 and served until 
1813. Judge Sayre was born in the 
town of Booming Gfove, Orange Co. N. 
y.. July 24, 1707; be du'd March 4, 
1848; Soptembrr 2, 1800 he was chosen 
Supervisor of Romulus and re elected 
year after year until 1808 ; he was re- 
elected supervi«3or in 1830 31 32. In 
1804 he was elected the first member of 
assembly and re-elected in 1808 and 
again in 1831 ; he served as treasurer 
of the county from 1817 to 1821. 
For many years he was associate judge 
of the Seneca County Courts and was 
the first postmaster of Romulus, 

William Thompson was chosen sur 
rogate February 28, 1815 and served 
until April 3, 1819, he was re-ap- 
pointed March 31, 1821 and served 
until December 3, 1827. 

Judge Thompson was born in Still- 
water, Saratoga Co. N. Y., March 4, 
1785, he graduated at Union College, 
Schenectady, N. Y., in 1806. After 
completing his college studies he en. 
tercd the office of his brother James 
who was practicing law in Milton, 
Saratoga Co,, N. Y. In the spring of 
1812 he found his new home and 



pitched his tent in the town of Ovid in 
this county. It is said of him '^Not 
greedy of gain, he did not use his in- 
fluence as a lawyer in the promotion of 
strife, but often eounciled amicable 
settlement of difiiculties between con- 
tending parties." Though not seek- 
ing preferment, he was more than once 
called to represent liis county in the 
Legislative Halls of the state, and by 
his acknowledged ability and popular- 
ity succeeded to the Speaker's chair, 
lie died November 18, 1871. 

Luther F. Stevens was appointed 
surrogate April 3, 1819 and served as 
such until March 31, 1821. 

December 3, 1827. Samuel Birdsall 
was appointed surrogate. Judge Bird- 
sail was born May 14, 1791 at Hills- 
dale, Columbia Co , N. Y. In the 
year 1817 he moved to Waterloo and 
for more than half a century after set. 
tling in Waterloo his position was one 
of prominence and influence and 
among the many honorable positions 
filled by him were Master in Chancery; 
Division Judge Advocate; with the 
rank of Colonel ; Counsellor in the 
Supreme Court; Surrogate of Seneca 
County ; District Attorney of the 
county ; postmaster at Waterloo and 
Member of Congress. He died on the 
8!h day of February, 1872. 

Jeheil H. Halsey was appointed 
July 22, 1837 as Judge Birdsall's 
successor. He died December 5, 1867. 
John Morgan who was appointed 
surrogate March 2, 1843, was the last 
surrogate appointed, he serving until 
July 1st 1847, at which time the offices 
of the county judge and surrogate were 
consoli.lated and the duties of each 
performed by the county judge. 

This concludes the Judiciary of the 
County of Seneca from the foundation 
cf the county to the prcent but it does 
not seem right that I should conclude 
this p'lpcr without referring to the 
Hon. John Maynard and Addison T. 
Knox who were long residents of this 
county and held the position of Judge 
of the Supreme Court which was not 
part of the Judiciary of Seneca County 
any more than of other counties com- 
prising the Supreme Court District m 
which they presided. 



34 



Judge Addison T. Knox was the 
sou of John Kiiox and the third iu birth 
ot" seven children; lie was born iu a 
house near the 'Kingdom". He was 
a cripple from birth and as his mother 
often remarked •' Being a cripple 
Addison always had his owu way and 
that is the reason he has such an over- 
bearing dieposition." Judge Add Kuox 
as he was familiarly called was ch ctcd 
in November 1859 ; he was an excellent 
lawyer and proved himself an honor- 
able and competent judiei-il officer. 
He died May 11, 1862 and Hon. James 
C. Smith of Canandaigua was ap- 
pointed his successor. 

Judge Maynard was elected June 
1847 and strved until March 24, 1850 
being the date of Jiis death. And 
Judge Henry W. Taylor was appointed 
as his successor. March 27, 1850. 

Prior to May 23, 1884. moneys be- 
longing to infants and others were left 
wi!h the Surrogate of the county for 
investment and the surprising part is 
tliat they were never required to render 
an account for tbose moneys only to 
infants who might attain the age of 
twenty-one years. Simply turning 
over to their successors in office tiie 
money in securities which they had on 
hand. In Mfiy 1884 an act was pris'^ed 
by our Legislature directing the Gen- 
eral Term of the Supreme Court to ap- 
point some suitable person to examine 
the books and accounts and vouchei's 



of the Surrogate's Court relating to 
these trust funds and directii)g that 
the surrogate turn the amount so 
found in his hands over to the county 
treasurer aud from that time the county 
treasurer and not the sun'ogate has 
been the depositary of these funds and 
although the surrogates were not re- 
quired to render an account of these 
funds, yet when the accountant ap- 
pointed by the Supreme Court ex. 
amined the accouiit of the surrogates, 
he reported all moneys were accounted 
for and that there never had been one 
cent loats in the acts of said surrogatHS 
of our county. 

For many of the biegvaphical facts 
couiainvd in ttus paper 1 am indebted 
to Hon. Di idrirJi Willers, ex-Secre- 
tary of State aud in closing I wish to 
express my thanks for the help he lias 
given m!3. 

To the officers of this association 
who have honored me as their choice 
to prepare this paper I can only in this 
fe<rble way express my appreciation 
and wish that health and strength had 
been spared me that I might have 
presented to them a more acceptable 
paper, but J assure them that situated 
as I liave been since I was notified of 
their de.-jirc I have done the best I could 
aud hope that its contents will be of 
benefit to them in the further progress 
of their historical work. 



Our Predecessors in Seneca County 

The Sachem-0=ja-geght and the Cayuga Indians. 



By F^r&dk Teller. 



It was an early hoiu' of the aftornooii 
of the 2l8t of October 1794 wheu an 
agt-d ohitjf or Imlinn sachem of the Cay- 
uga Natii u arose. Before hiiu burned 
the conucil fire of the six nations. 
From his place nt the head of the inner 
circle of the council, he j^azed around 
upon a vast gathering that encircled 
him as it stretched away in ever widen- 
ing circles. This council was the last 
general one ever held by the United 
Slates with the Six Nations as a whole 
and it WHS the largest concourse of the 
dittV;rent tribes comprising its diU'^rent 
nations, except the Mohawks, thnt has 
ever since been gMth-red together. 
Besedes the Ca3Ugfis and the other 
al lied nations of the Iroqais Conf edi?racy 
were a number of the conquergd and 
dependent tribe. The Seneca?, how- 
ever were by far the most numerous. 
The number in attandeiice amounted to 
very nearly two thousand red men. 
The treaty wa-i held a few miles to the 
weat of us at Can-mdnigua. from where 
the council was convened could be seen 
the waters of that befiutiful lake spark 
ling in the sun surrounded by the bar- 
baric colorings o*f the wild foictits in 
their Indian summer frost tints. 

The fjged chief who had ari.^fn to hiij 
feet to answer on behnlf of the Six 
Nations the congra'.ulatory and intro- 
ductory a(idr(^ss nsade by the Indian 
Commissioner C'>1. Piokerirg, on the 
day previous at the opening of the 
grand council wa^ O ji-goght. lie was 
commonly called by the wliilea "The 
Pish Carrier" and sometimes "Old 
Fish ("arrier." He was the headsman, 
or eiiief sachem of the ton civil mngis- 
trates of the Cayuga Indi'ins and the 
eer)ior at the time of the fifty sachems 
who goverutd the civic affairs of the 



Six Nations. The ancient scrolls of 
parchment with the wampum attached 
that are now in the custody of the Re- 
gents of the University of the Slate of 
New York are the original state treaties 
that released to the State of New York 
the lands that compnse the present 
county of Seneca. These are the title 
deeds to the lands that are our birtli- 
right and upon wliich have been built 
the homes of ourselves and people for 
one hundred years. if you will ex- 
amine the signatures with the totums 
and sign manuels attach-d thereto you 
will find on the part of the red man 
that the first n'une in all cases by reason 
of his rank, his standing, and his sen- 
iority signed to them to be O ja-geght. 

Of the means used by the Commis- 
sioners of the State of New York to 
persuade, cjole, circumvent and to 
almost forcibly wring from the Cayuga 
Nation and from this unlettered man 
0-j'i-geght their l.-mds it is the purpose 
of this article to treat. To this savage 
barb'-rian who stood out alone against 
our sovereign state and who.^e one voice 
making conformatinu impossible al- 
most blocked the treaty that completes 
our chain of title to the beautiful rivers 
and vale.-', glades and lak( s, on which 
are built up the communities thnt we 
here tonight call home, your attention 
is asked. 

Before listening to the remarks of 
this Cayuga chief or sachem we will 
better understand thorn if wo go hack to 
February of this same year 1794 to a 
council th.'it was a ))relimi>jary of this 
the larger one. It was Cf.Ued at the in- 
stance of the Federal Government at 
Bnifalo Creek foe the purpose of con- 
cilnting the feelings of the Cayuga nnd 
Seneca Indians One of the serious 



36 



questions that confronted the young 
"Republic of the Thirteen Fires" as 
they were cslled by the Six Nations 
was the Indian prol)lem. The vexed 
question of boundary lines had settled 
down into a stern determination on the 
part of the allied Indian tribes ot the 
west, that the Ohio river should mark 
the utmost white frontier settlements. 

In this they were openly abettf'd by 
Thay-en-da-naga (Joseph Brant) the 
fighting chieitain of the Mohawks and 
his entire Mohawk following. This 
powerful nation who had espoused the 
cause of the British in the Revolution- 
ary war had retired to Canada on lands 
assigned to them by the crown after 
the Revolutionary war on the Penins- 
ular northwest of the Niagara river. 
Many of the young men and warriors 
of the Csyugas snd Scnecas were also 
upon the warpath in the west. Gen. St. 
Clair had been defeated in a pilehed 
battle on the Miamis and It was de- 
sirable to prevent the Cayugas and 
Seneca Indians from joining the beli- 
gerents en masse. These ettorts how- 
ever were crowned with l)ut partial 
success. 

The government distributed on this 
occasion a liberal quantity of presents 
including clothing. The place ofmeet- 
ing so near the frontier of Canada was 
such however that it was largely under 
the control of British officers. Col, 
John Butler of Wyoming memory was 
conspicuous in his endeavors to thwart 
the designs of the United States com- 
missioners. Joseph Brant and Red 
Jacket were the principal speakers. 
After mufh discussion of numerous 
propositions it was adjourned with tlie 
idea of calling a general council to be 
held later in the year Rumors were 
accordingly sent out summoning the 
entire Six Nitions to a council to be 
held at Canandaigua in the following 
autumn. This great and memorable 
council which convened was the result. 

In the meantime the State of Penn- 
sylvania prepared to extend her settle- 
ments to Presqne Island on the shore 
of Lake Erie. This greatly ex3.«pfr- 
at'd the Six Nations who claimed this 
territory as exclusively their own. 
The Six Nations were about to take the 



field under the leadtrship of Joseph 
Brant when Presi lent Wnshingtou in 
terferred and previ-ned P. nnsylvama 
from any turiher prowejuiion of her 
designs at that lime. 

The Indians eoii mi'-sioners ap 
pointed to represent the United States 
at Canandaigua v;ere C"l. Pickering 
called Can net santy by the Indians and 
General Israel Chapin. The last 
named was a great friend to the In- 
dians and upon his d-.^ath the iollowing 
spring a council w?;s held in honor of 
his memory April 28, 1795 at which a 
request was made that tiid son Cjiptain 
Israel Chapin might be appointed in 
his place. There were also in atten- 
deiice at this council by special invit- 
ation^of the Indians, six quaker friends, 
three from ea'^h Pennsylvania and New 
Jersey. The Ouiedas who were the lirst 
to arrive on the 11th of October went 
into council upon matters pretainiug ex- 
clusively to their own nation. On the 
fourteenth the Onondagas and Cayugas 
arrived and on the same day llo-na ye- 
wus or Farmer Brother arrived at the 
head of a large delegation of Senecas. 

They were received by the Indians 
dressed and painted with all the l)ril- 
liancy and beauty of their wild fan- 
tastic tastes. On the 18th Sa-go ye- 
wat-ha or Red Jacket and Ga hio-di- 
euh or Cnrnplnnter and several other 
Seneca chiefs arrived each with large 
delegations. 

On the afternoon of the 18lh the 
commissioners and friends were sum- 
moned by a son of Coriqjlanter to 
attend the formal openjng of the coun- 
cil. The officers and their interpreters 
were surrounded by a dark assemblage 
as the council fire was kindled and the 
pipe of peace went around. The In- 
dians are very deliberate in council and 
it was not until the 20th the business 
of the council really began. 

Upon that occasion Col, Pickering 
performed the ceremony of condol- 
mcnt with the Delewares for the loss 
of one of their braves. He, in words, 
took the tom.ihawk from the head of 
the victim who had been murdered by 
a white man and covered the grave 
with leaves so that no one could see it 
in passing. The hatchet which he had 



37 



taken from the head of the victim was 
buried beneatli a pine tree which in 
wordH was torn up for tlial purpose. 
Having placed the hatelict in !i deep 
li 'le and covered it over with stones, 
the trt'e was rcplnnted on top so tliat 
the instrument of death could never 
be diMcoytred. The colonel then wiped 
the blood from their heads aud the 
tears from their eyes and opened the 
path of peace wlrich the Indians were 
inviied to keep clear at one end and 
the United Stntes at the other as long 
as the sun shone. 

It vvHS for the purpose of answer- 
iui;; this address of Col. Pickering of 
which the above was the prtliminary 
that on behalf of the Six Nations, O ja- 
geght had arisen in the count^il. Draw- 
ing the blanket around his tall and ex-ect 
thou'^h aged form with all Uio untural 
grace of a native Indian he addressed 
hiin'^elf to the corumis^ion on beh-ilf 
of his conntryriien. The national 
g.ivernmt'iit has preserved nothing in 
its archives in rtgard to thin council 
except the bare treaty itself. But from 
other source^, a portion of the outline 
of the in'erpreter's remnrks have been 
saved. After delivering the belt of 
wampum by which he had been sum- 
moned to the council. 

He gazedrctrospectively at the re . 
la'ions that had existed between the 
intruding wiiite mnu and the Six 
Nations "When the wbife ipan first 
cnme awd landt d on our shores the In- 
dians saw that ti>ey were men and 
must have something to subsist upon. 
They therefore pitied thein and gave 
them some land aud when they com- 
plained that the land had become too 
small for them the Indinns still pitied 
them and from time to time gave them 
more. Tidings were carried back and 
still more cnme among us, yet we did 
not fear them. We took them to be 
friends ior they called us brothers. 
At length a great council fire was kin- 
dled at Albany where a silver ciiain 
was mfide which whs kept bright for 
manv years until the United Slates and 
the (treat King over the waters diftered. 
Then their brothers in Canada talked 
to the Indians and they Jet the ciiain 
fall out of their hands, yet it was not 



their fault but the white people for this 
land over which our white brothers 
quarrelled was created by the Great 
Spirit for the use of his red children. 

In the v/ar that ensued the minds of 
our people were very uneasy. 
We were una()le to agree and 
our council was divided. A part of 
our people stood by the council of the 
thiriecn fires while the greater portion 
held fast by the treaty belts whii^h were 
he'd by the King across the great 
waters. He referred bitturly to the 
abandi nment of her Indian allies by 
the Hritisii at the close of the war and 
that in the treaty of peace no provision 
of any kind had been made for thgm. 
He re<^apitulated the history of the 
negotiations with the whitepeople 
afterwards and referring to the rea ties 
of Fort Slanwix complained of the 
many grievances they had sutTered par- 
ticularly in the curtailment of their 
territory. The IndiMUs felt that at the 
first treaty at Fort Stanwix In 1784 the 
commissioners had been too grasping. 
In ttie subsequent treaties every efiort 
had b( en made to fleece them of their 
lands until now ''we have hardly a 
place left on which to spread our 
blankets but still you are not satisfied " 
In concluding O jn geght stated that 
notwithstanding their many causes of 
complaint now, that they had taken 
hold of the chain with the fifteen fires 
he pledged the Six Nations to hold on. 

In the above speech 0-ja-geght com- 
plains of the curtailment of the lands 
of the red man by the various treaties. 
Let us take up the treaty of 1789 by 
whieh most of the lands composing the 
present county of Seneca were released 
to the state. The exception being the 
lands of the west Cayuga reservation 
bounded on the east by ('ayuga L'dce. 
north by the Seneca river, west by the 
reservation road and south by the 
town of Romulus. 

It was determined by the State of 
New York to hold a council with the 
Indians in September 1788 at P'ort 
Schuyler and agents and runners were 
sent out by the New Yors Indian 
commissioners to induce the Indians to 
attend. It was intended to make this 
as imposing as possible and great pre- 



38 



parations were made for this embassy 
to the Indian couutry. I shall quote 
almost liht rally from an article of the 
late Geo. Couover. The board of com- 
missioners and their retinne started 
from Albany on the 23rd find did not 
arrive at Furl Schuyler until the 28th 
of August. A wild romnntic scene was 
goon presented Governor Geroge 
Clinton pitchtd his marquee and was 
surrounded by man yvvho had been con- 
spicuous in the Kevolution and were 
then leading men iu the new state. 
They were surr(;unded by tlie camp- 
fires of ih'^ numerous representatives of 
the Six Nations amounting to thousands. 
Indian trad(:;r8 wrve there from New 
York aud Canada in large numbers 
with their showy goods and trinkets 
and fire water, ready for the sale of 
goods on the espousal of either the 
intere.st of the siate or the lessees. 
Prominent lessees from Albany, Hud- 
son and Can.nda were in the crowd 
secretly and insidiously endeavoring 
to thwart the object of the council, 
hearing that one of their principals 
John Livinjiston was present. Governor 
Clinton ordced him to leave in three 
hours and retire to a distance of forty 
miles. 

The lessees were a company who had 
leased from the Indians a considerable 
portion of their lands for a term of 
999 years. The laws of the United 
Statt's and the State of New York pro- 
hibited the sale of their lands by the 
Indians without the approval of the 
government aud the state. To evade 
this the lessee h'id leased nearly the 
whole of western New York for the 
above term which practicaliy amounted 
to a salf. The prominent lessees were 
John Livingston and Dr Benton. 
Their object was the erection of a new 
slate we.'t of the reservation line sim- 
ular to VerFi;ont which had receidly 
been split oil' from the eastern part of 
New York and been admitted to state 
hood. 

"Governor Clinton finding that the 
Cajugas and Seneeas had held back 
sfnt mf>ssages to Kan a de s?iga now 
Geneva, to hurry tliem forward. They 
found Dr. Benton a prominent lessee 
aud his agents surrounded b}' Indians 



dealing out liquor and goods persuad- 
ing them that either New York would 
cheat them out of their lands or else 
put them to death. Many of them 
were undeceived and started on the 
journey but so great had been the 
beastly intoxication, that but few went 
further than Scaw yaee (South Water- 
loo) being to unable proceed and but 
few reaeiied the council, one Cayuga 
dying on the road." 

On the 9th of September the council 
was opened by a speech by Govenor 
Clinton and after a few days negoti- 
ation, a treaty was concluded with the 
Ouondagas whereby all their lands 
were secured except certain reser- 
vations. Negotiations with the Onei- 
das followed and after some days a 
like treaty was procured from them. 
The couucil had now continued for 
twenty live days It became now im- 
portant in order to secure the balance 
of the Indian lands to procure a treaty 
with the Cavngas and Senecas. Rev. 
Samuel Kirk wood was despatched to 
these tribes to inform them what had 
been done aud to prepare the way for a 
council. 

Seth Reed and Peter Ryckermau who 
were both noted Indian traders located 
at the Indian villige of Knnadessga 
were engaged to aid in getting ibe 
attendance of the Indians at All)any. 
Both of these tradirs were committed to 
the interests of the lessees, the lands and 
set off to them by the stale commis- 
sioners in this treaty which they aided 
n securing will show how they came 
to change their minds. Reed and 
Ryckerman responded as soon after 
thessi arrangements had been completed 
as possible. First sending James 
Manning Reed to Albany with a letter 
saying that they would be in Albany 
the latter part of January with tlie 
Indians and adding that the lessees kept 
tho Indians so continually intoxicated 
with liquor thht it is iu)p')ssible to do 
anj'tlnng with them. It was not un- 
til February 1889 that Ryckerman was 
abl(i to collect a sufficient nnnd>er of 
Indians and reach Albany. 

The council was accordingly opened 
on the 19th with the Cayugas and 
some Ouondagas aud Ooeidas being 



39 



also present. None of tl;e prouiincnt 
Cayugas either sachems or warriors 
were present. A C"nverletl Ciiyuga 
liulirin known as Go'Jtl Poti-r or Dom- 
inic I'eter was the priucipal speak'.^r 
for tlie Cnyugas. Present at the coun- 
cil was a eonsideia''le number of their 
womt n wliom Good I'v-ter called 
governessts and of whom he s;iid, 
"Our ancestors considtir it a great 
transgression to neg'eot tlie council of 
the women, pariiculariy the gov- 
erni.>i^ses whom thi^y eoi.'silcr the miri- 
tresses of the soil. They said, who 
brouj;ht us fortli? Who cultivaie our 
land-? \Yho kindle our flres and boil 
our [);)ts but the women? 

On the 2uih of February, 1789, the 
tre.'»ty of Albany was couuIu*led. In 
the first two clauses of this treaty they 
ceded and grant d to the Stale of 
New York forever all their lands ex- 
cept the east and west Cayuga Keser- 
vatimis cou'aining one hundred 
square mile?, exjlusive of the waters 
ot"Ca\ug!i lake r-iid the place cHl'ed 
Skayes on the Seneca River and a 
compe'ant piece of land on ih.9 south 
side of faid river at the said place 
sufficient for the said C'lyugas to land 
and t ncaiup on and cure their ee's. 

The third clause gives the Cayugas 

and their posterity fcrevcr the rigiit 

of hunting in every part of said ceded 

land and of fishing in ail thu waters 

within the same. 

The fourth clause names the con- 
sideration on the part of the state 
which was $5,000 in silver (ihe re- 
ceipt whereof the Cayugas do hereby 
acknowledge) and a further payment 
the following June 1st at Fort Schuyler 
of $1625 00 and an auiiuity of $500 
per year. The state settles with r.'tcu" 
Ryckerman in the same clause for his 
share in procuring the treaty by pay- 
ing him out of lands set aside for the 
CayugHS as per the following clause — 
and as a further consideration to the 
Cayugas the people of the State of 
New York shall grant to their adopted 
child, Ptter Ryckerman whom they 
have expressed a desire shall reside 
near them, to assist th'-m and as a 
benevolence from them the Cayugas 
to him and in return for services 



rendered by him to their nation, the 
said tract of on« mile square at the 
Cayuga Ferry, cxct-pted out of gaid 
lands reserved to tiie Ca\ugas for their 
own utQ &uCi cultivation. R'.el;erman 
was also granted in the fourth clause of 
the treaty 16,000 acres of land ad- 
joining and on thij we?t side of Seneca 
Lake, surrounding a house lately 
ercotcdnnd now in Oocnpatiou by the 
said Toter Ryckerman. There is ex- 
ccpted out of this 370 acr'S which 
were granted to a white man who mar- 
ried a daughter of a Cayuga named 
Thynovvas. It was Ryckerman's en- 
deavor to beat his partner out of any 
participation in this land that has 
placed so many documents on tile at 
Albany and given so much light on 
this tieaty. 

The closing four lines of this treaty 
were evidently added to mollify if 
possible soi;!Owhat the known hostdity 
of O ia-geght to releai-ing any of the 
lands of the Cayugas to the st'ite. They 
read as followa. Notwithstanding the 
said reservation herein above specified, 
to the (Jayugas, h is doolnred to bn the 
intent of the parties thit the Cayuga 
called the Fish Cirri-r shall have a 
mile s^^qiiare of the said reseived lands 
for the separate use of himself and 
his family forever. 

The signatures to the treaty are re- 
markable on the part of the red man 
from the fact that it is signed bv but 
fourteen Indians and twelve govern- 
esses. Nine of those signatures were 
signed by but one Indian Kan is ta- 
gia whose mirk is a steel trap. The 
peculiar marks and totems are inter- 
esting. B"side3 Governor Ciinton and 
Lieutenant Governor Van Cortland oa 
the part of the state are Ezra L. Hom- 
medien, Abram Ten Brock. John 
llathorn, S'lmuel Jone?, Peter Gans- 
voort and Egbert Benson. 

There was great indignation on the 
part of the rest of the Cayugas as soon 
as it was known that a treaty had i.cen 
entered in'o and negotiated by so small 
and uninfluential a part of their nation. 
As soon as the runner with the tidings 
of this treaty arrived at Tey o heyho- 
co Is (Buffalo Ci'eeil) where quite a 
number of the Cayuga warriors and 



40 



chiefs with their followers were in 
cRinp for the winter iiimieiiiNte pre- 
parations wore nifide to return to this 
ueiyhborhood The feelitii;: was very 
bitter and ranked very stvons in their 
uiiuds that the Cayuiiaa had not been 
treated fair in the matter of this treaty. 

O-J^-f^^'fj'it at the head of his people 
drovH the surveyors from their lands, 
desiroytnl the stakes and refut-ed to be 
oppressed. Every means to pac?ify 
him was without avail. When the 
firsi d'ly of June caaie it was felt to be 
a vitfd necessity that the signatures 
of some of the more promini^nt war- 
riors, chiefs and a,"ichems of the nation 
should be secured to ?ui article ratify- 
ing the treaty of the previous year. 
It seems that on the 22 ad of June this 
fact was accomplished for we find on 
that date the Cayugas had come for- 
ward to Fort S':iuwix and received 
their Knnuity nnd also the further sum 
of o)ic thousand dollars as a be7ievolence 
and we th« said Cayugas in consider 
ation thereof do by th; se presents fully 
freely and absolutely ratify and con 
firm the said agreement and cession. 
This was i^igued by twenty four 
Sachems, chiefs and warriors of th^ 
Cayuga Nation of Indinns. The first 
signature being O ja geght alias Fi«h 
comer, the next Shogoyeghwatha or 
Red Jacket, and the nanif^s of the lead 
lug men of the Cayuga Nation follow, 
omong the leading witnesses was 
Joseph Brant. W. L. Stone in h.s 
life of Brant speaks of him as having 
been a great and life long friend of 
Aid chief of the Cayugas. New York 
refers to the 1789 treaty as having been 
made at Albany on that date and con- 
firmed by subsequent articles made 
at Fort Stanwix, Juno 22, 1790. 

Their reservation on the east and 
west shores of Cayuga Lake were soon 
surrounded by settlers. Leases were 
made to the whites in some instances 
and in others squatters swarmed in and 
took possession. By reason of their 
lease of ferry privileges to John Harris 
and James Bennett, a highway was 
opened which was travelled by all who 
made use of the ferry. There was 
another class, the felons and outlaws 
who sought refuge there. There was 



a provision in the treaty by which the 
state bound itself to clear the reser- 
vation from intruders on said reser- 
vation without the consent of the said 
Cai ugas and the Cayugas on their 
part to the State in the apprehending 
of intruders, felons and offenders to 
the end that they may be brought to 
justice. It was necessary on a number 
of occasions for the state to summon 
a shcrift's posse to clear and drive out by 
main force the intruders, so that the 
Cayugas could retnin and enjoy the 
residue of the lands that remained to 
them. 

The treaty of 1789 wis no sooner 
ratified in the folh.iwiag ye.ir than long- 
ing eye-; wore turned to the fair lands 
that yet r.^uuiiied to the Cayugas, It 
was not long before iui erected parties 
who afierw;irds obtained a share in its 
distribution began to talk of — 'vs the 
treaty afterwards negotiated states — 
'•mike the hinds of the said ressr- 
veration more productive of annual lu- 
cerne to the Ciyugas,'' It was not 
until July 27, 1795 that comtnissiouers 
on the part of t'le state concluded a 
treaty at the Cayuga Ferry v/ hereby 
the Cayugn Nation released to the state 
all their lauds except two small reser- 
vations on the east side of tlie Hke. 

It is not the purpose of this article 
to go into the details of this treaty as 
it was touched on in the article on the 
Eirly Ferries and the Genc'see High, 
way, the Samuel and John Harris and 
two additional articles entitled the Cay- 
uga Treaties soon to appear in the 
Grips llivtory. The negotiating and 
concluding of the treaty met the deter- 
mined oppositi'm of O ja geght and it 
was not U!itil all of his followers h;id 
been won over and he had stood out 
alone for many days that it was con 
sumnled. The mile square reserved 
to O-ja-geght in the 1789 treaty he 
evidently refused to release as per this 
clause in the treaty '<one other piece 
of land one mi'e square at 'Canoga' for 
the use of an Indian sachem of the 
said nation called Fish Carrier and for 
the use of his posterity forever." 

The two small reserv.-itions of two 
miles and one mile .'^qunre on the east 
side of Cayuga Lake were by treaty 



41 



purchased by the state on May 30, 1807. 
The reservation containing the Indian 
sprinu: and villaj<e at CHuoga secujed 
to O-ja geght was exchaugtd for an 
annuity "f $60 per year. Tins was 
paid to his heirsi up to August 2. 1841 
when by Chapter 234 of the law6 of 
that year it was extinguished. O ja- 
gejiht was an old man at the date of 
the 1789 treaties and alter the loss of 
eo nuich of their lani's he lived must of 
his time with ihe Mohawks in Canada. 
He however afterwards visited a num- 
ber of times the territoriv^s that for 
t'lree centuries !ia<1 ^^r'-n fhe homes of 
his people He was jjtfent and signed 
the treaty of 1807. Thrre is a trad- 
ition that durii)ij;ti subsiqueut pilgrim- 
ase to the graves y-i Luj people at 
Cinoga he died. The name and 
sach(3m3hip is still kept up among the 
remnants of t^'e Cayuwa Nation. 

The Cayuga Nation of Indians were 
one of tho-e composing the Five Nati'ms 
After the adoption of the Tuscaroras 
who were a conquered tribe speaking 
a sindlar dialect whom these nations 
f'.und in North Carolina itito their «'on- 
federacy it i)ecame more widely known 
as ttie Six Nations. This league was 
called l>y tlie French the Iroquois and 
was the most powerful and widely 
known of any of the Indinn tribes on 
the continetit In the fanciful and 
figurative language which they made 
use of they termed their forniation ('lo- 
di-no-san-nee, the long hotise) which 
signifies a long house having partitions 
and separate fires. This was the an- 
cient way these people had of building 
their bark house, s huge enou^jh to iic- 
commodate a numlxir of fannlies. 

The home dotnains of the Six 
Nations stretclied the entire length of 
the Enqiire state. The first tire the 
extreme western one was the Senecas. 
They wen; known as the hill people 
and wtMe the fiercest, the n)"8t pop- 
ulous and furnished the most wa'riora 
and warchiefs. They were designated 
as the keepers of tlie western gate. 
The fifth fire at the enst end was the 
Mohawks and they were the guardians 
of the eastern door. On this tribe de- 
volved the naming of a warohief and 
the collection of tribute was one of their 



duties. The third fire was the great 
council tire of the Six Nations and was 
in charge of the Onondagas. The 
council tire was put out when the On- 
ondaga council house was destroyed by 
Count Frontenac in 1696. It was again 
put out in the spring of 1777 and again 
for the last time in 1779. It was never 
afterwares relighted in the old place in 
ttie council town. Of the fifty sachems 
who governed the civic aflaire of the 
Six Nations, fourteen belonged to the 
Onoudagas. The head or chief sachem 
was with them the name To do-do-ho 
and the title going with the office, also 
the Ho-no-we-na-to or national wam- 
pum keeper was an hereditary oflSce 
that was confined to the Onondagas. 
The wampum represented the history 
of the nations wtuch was talked into 
it. 

One of the intere-'ting features at 
the unveiling of the Red Jacket Monu- 
ment at Canoga on O^'tober 14, 1891, 
was the presence of Chief Sachem 
Skanawati the otficial keeper of the 
wampum belts or records. He exhib- 
ited a large wampum belt and ex- 
plained its use and the manner of keep- 
ing the records of the Confederacy. 

Tlie second hre was that of the Cay- 
ugas. They were the custodians of 
the Ah-8o qna-ta, the peace pipe The 
Cayugas were designed at the council 
fires as the So-mns-ho-gwa to-war 
which signifies the gr'at pipe. In 
addition to the apple and peach orchards 
and clearings of corn were large 
fields of cultivated tobacco suriound- 
iug the Cayuga castles or settlements. 
It was their right to apply the lighted 
brand from the couu'ii fire to the cal- 
umet at the national council. The 
smoking of the peace pipe and the 
passing of it around the circle from 
hand to hand was the preliminary or 
formal method of opening all councils. 
In the general council it went first to 
the Onondagas and came around to 
the Cayugas last in whose keejiing it 
remained until the next council. The 
rudely drawn tigure of a calumet placed 
opposite the names of their chiefs was 
their official signature and it was their 
totam and their insignia as a nation. 

Upon one side of the council fire 



42 



were hung the Onondagas, Seneca and 
Mohawks for tbey were the fathers of 
the league, on the other side were the 
Cayugas, Oneidas and Tuacaroras for 
they were brothers but children of 
the first three. The Cayugas were 
formerly a part of the Seneca nation at 
some remote time in the dim recesses 
of tradition in which the early trail of 
the Cayugas are lost- When tlJe Seneca 
hunting grounds around the (Jenesee 
became too thickly settled for easy 
subsistance a band under the leadership 
of some favorite chief migrated to the 
outlet of Cayuga lake. In time they 
grew in numbers and became distinct. 
They were formerly known under the 
title of the Gwe-u-gwek-o-no which 
means the people of the mucky land. 
This referred to the Montezuma 
marshes where their Mrst settlements 
were made. The Oneidas in a like 
manner were originally a part of the 
Mohawks and became a distinct nation 
in a similar manner. 

Few who to-day occupy the lands 
that formerly belonged to the Six 
Nations realize the extent to which 
they carried their conquests outside of 
their home territories. The limits of 
this paper will admit of but one ex- 
tract or two from well known writers. 

Morgan in his league of the Iroquois 
gays, ''No frightful solitude in the 
wilderness, no impregnable I'eoess in 
the frozen north was proof against 
their courage and daring. By the 
year 1700 they hnd subdued and held 
in subjection all the principal nations 
which occupied the States of New York, 
Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, 
Pennsylania, Virginia, Ohio, Ken- 
tucky, Northern Tennessee, Iliinoi«, 
Indiana, Michigan, a portion of the 
New England states and a principal 
part of Canada. Over these nations 
the haughty and imperious Iroquois 
exercised a constant supervision. 

Cbauncey M. Depew in his centen- 
nial address at the hundredth anniver- 
sary of the State of New York referred 
to this incident. A tribe of Manhat- 
tans had sold some of their lands to 
the white settlers without the consent 
of|the Iroquois, this was contrary to 
their agreement. A single Mohawk 



warrior was sent as an envoy to attend 
to it. Summoning the offending tribe 
to a council he asked to have the Chief 
that was responsible for the transaction 
pointed out to hira. He thereupon 
buried his tomahawk in his brain 
scalped him and hanging his still bleed- 
ing scalp to his girdle strode out from 
the terrified and submissive assembly." 
DeWitt Clinton says of them, "They 
were the Romans of the west. Their 
conquests if we consider their numbers 
and circumstances were not inferior to 
that of Rome itself. They ran in con- 
qnest further than the Greek arms ever 
carried and to distances which Rome 
surpissed only in the days of its cul- 
minating glory- 
On November 6. 1768 the boundary 
"iMine between the Six Nations and the 
' State of New York, New Jersey, 
Pennsylvania, and Virginia was fixed 
by a treaty at Fort Stanwix between 
the officials of these states and the Six 
Nations, on behalf of ourselves and 
of our several dependent nations. The 
Cayugas signed by their seal or totura 
the crude drawing or picture of a cal- 
umet. 

The Cayugas though situated far 
inland were so favored by nature that 
they could by several water routes 
that centered in their territories 
quickly assemble and go forward on 
the warpath in any direction. Their 
remote, secluded territories on the other 
hand in the midst of a stupendous for- 
est scenery would seem to be the ori- 
ginal abode of sylvan happiness. 
Their principal villages, settlements 
and encampments were on both sides 
of Cayuga lake. At the Canoga 
Springs was their village of the name 
Ca-no geh signifing, oil on the waters. 
The Spring was considered by the In- 
dians to be possessed of medicine prop- 
eries and capable of driving away cer- 
tain evil spirits that brought disease. 
Red Jacket was born near this spring 
somewhere about the year 1750. His 
mother was a Cayuga. The order of 
descent in Indian lineage was through 
the female line and although the father 
was a Seneca the sou of the mother 
was a Cayuga. You will find his 
name sigued to most of the Cayuga 



43 



treaties. His title to the wolf clan was 
from his mother and though called by 
some writers a prince of the turtle 
clan because his father was of that 
clan, an Indian would never call him 
so. In the mile square reserved to O- 
ja geght were a number of their burial 
places. The Indian has always had a 
great veneration for the graves of his 
fathers and it was a reproach to the 
Cayugas that they did not I'etain even 
a place to bury their dead. 

Another village of the Cayugas was 
Ge wa-ga means a promintory running 
out. It was on the other side of the 
lake near Union Springs A little 
further south was their principal vil- 
lage where the council house of the 
Cayuga Nation was situated, Ga-ya- 
ga an' ha which means inclining down- 
ward. It is said it refers to the re- 
flection of heaven's dome in the waters, 
another Indian word more fully ex- 
pressing it being Ga o ya-di-o, where 
the heavens rest upon the earth. On 
the site of Ithaca was Ne-o dak heat 
meaning at the end of the lake. 
Wbere Auroi'a is situated was De a- 
wen dote, constant dawn. The Cay- 
ugas were the keepers of the southern 
gate of the Confederacy, a place where 
all the rivers and trails came together 
Ta- yo ga, at the forks. These names 
show that the Cay ugas were not in- 
sensible to their beautiful surround- 
ings. 

Their name for the Seneca River 
was Swa-geb, flowing away. This was 
the name of the river from Seneca 
lake until it empied into Lake On 
tario. Coming up the river however it 
was the Onondaga until Onondaga 
lake was passed Cayuga river until 
Cayuga lake was passed and then 
Seneca Kiver This point on the Sen- 
eca river where we are gathered to- 
night was the carrying place or por- 
tage. It marked the somewhat elastic 
boundaries between the Cayugas and 
Senecas. The site of Seneca Falls 
was called Sha sconce which means 
swift flowing or tumbling waters. As 
the principal trail of the Six Nations 
also ran east and west through our 
village it is probable that there has 
never been a time since the Indians 



inhabited this country that there has 
not been a collection of bark cabins, 
tepees or wigwams of this migratory 
race scattered through the forests on 
either side of the river at this point. 
Numerous evidences were found here 
of former Indian occupation. 

Scoy yase west of us seems to have 
been a cosmopolitan settlement com- 
posed of migratory bands contributed 
from all of the Six Nations. Tbese as 
they journeyed east or west on the 
trail or canned around the rapids 
pitched their habitation, tarried for 
the fishing or social interchange. 
There was always as a consequence 
eu(!ampments all along the river. 

Here in this very heart of nature 
along these beautiful streams and 
around this land locked expanse of 
mirrored waters dwelt our predecessors 
the Cayugiis hfippy under the smile of 
the Great Spirit. The waters were 
tjeming with fish and the forests with 
game. They cliase alternated with the 
cou.jcil. Ho-di 09 seh they called 
them which siguihes advising together. 
There was their local festivals and ob- 
servances as well as tlieir general 
gatherings at the Onondaga council 
bouse. ''If for instance the Cay ugas 
lust a sachem or chief, a runner was sent 
out with belts of invitation to the 
achems of the league and the peoples 
at large to assemble around their coun- 
cil fire. As soon as the runner bad 
reacbed the trails of the Ouondagas it 
was taken up by them and circulated 
through their nation and one of the 
Ouondagas fastest ruuner took up the 
message and passed it on to the Oueidas 
aud they in a like manner to tbe nations 
at tbe east. In tbe meantime another 
Cayuga ruuner had reached Can a 
di sa-ga the chief Seneca's village and 
was it being circulated ttirough the 
Seneca's villages by their runners. 
The belts and strings of wampum sent 
out conveyed a message. The name 
of the deceased calls for a couucil. 

The name and appeal fell not iu vain 
upon the ears of tbe Iroquois. There 
was a potency iu the name itself 
which none could resist. It pene- 
trated every seclusion of ihe forest, 
and reached every Ga-no-soh hunter 



44 



upon the hillside, on the mnrgin of 
the lake, or in the deep solitudes of 
tlie woods. No warrior, wise man or 
chief faih^d to hear or withstand the 
call. A principle within was addressed 
which ever responded, respect and 
veneration for the sachems of the 
league." 

For these council'^, and the festivities 
with which they were concludeil the 
Ho de no-san-uee ever retained a 
passionate fondness. No inclemency of 
season, nor remoteness of residence, 
no frailty of age of sex offered im- 
possible obstruction. To that hardy 
spirit which induced the Inqnois to 
traversethe warpaths of the distant 
south atid west and to leave their hunt- 
ing trailsnpon the Potomac and the 
Ohio, the distance to the council with- 
in their immediate territories would 
present uo considerable hinderances. 
From the Mohawk to the (ienesee they 
forsook their hunting grounds and their 
encampments and put themselves up- 
onthe trail for the council fire. Old 
men with gray hair and tottering steps, 
young men in the vigor of youth, war- 
riors inured to the hardships of in- 
cessant strife, children looking out 
upon life for the first time and women 
with their infants enclosed in the ga- 
oo-ha, baby^frame, all performed the 
journey with singular rapidity and en- 
durance. From every side they bent 
their footsteps toward the council, and 
when the day arrived, a large con- 
course of warriors, chiefs, wise men 
and sachems, from the most remote 
as well as the subjacent parts of their 
territory, greeted each other beside 
the council fire of the Cayugas. 

There was one pecularity of the 
council only that the limits of this 
article will permit calling attention 
to and that is the ruling of the ma- 
jority over the minority. No majority 
could force the minority, that would 
be the curtailing of their liberties. 
They must all be, as they expressed it, 
of one mind, otherwise everything fell 
to the ground. When the Six Nations 
went into council in regard to support- 
ing the British in the Revolution the 
Oneidas could not be brought to agree 
with the majority. Hence all were at 



liberty to do as they pleased. This 
was true in the trc aty of 1795 ceding 
to the state the (Jaynga Iteservation. 
Had O ja geght refused to go with the 
majority the treaty could never have 
been ratified. 

People or classes of people seem to 
leave their footprints upon the country 
they inhabit. East of us the Puritans 
left theirs, "upon the stream and rock 
bound coast" where first they landed. 
Nearer the Dutch lef I theirs about the 
Hudson, a lordly yet a sleepy goiug 
region. About and around Cayuga 
Liake has always reste I a benign, pas- 
toral, restful ])reseuce. It breathes of 
hospitality and the open door of wel- 
come. The summer clouds that curl 
like a halo above it ever seem like the 
vaporings that had just left the bowl 
of the As-o-qua-ta, the calumet, the 
peace pipe of the Cayugas. Peace 
and sweet content have ever hemmed 
it in. 

Thy surface wide, a glass, — transpar- 
ent bright 
The farther shore like rainbow tips 

fades blue 
In tender tints of a celestial hue 
Yon bark like cockle shell so frail and 

slight 
Suspended floats ; blank space and 

brit^ht 
The rich toned shadows fashion it 

again 
Reversed beneath thy burnished plain. 
Submerged wide heavens down so 

snowy .white 
Draws magnet like each shade of 

natives soul, 
Fields square of meadow, bills of 

mossy turf 
The woodland mass, the tree trunks 

gnarled girth 
The worlds sharp struggle to some 

selfish goal 
Floats oft beyond horizons utmost 

knowl 
Becalmed lies every joy that is of 

heaven or earth. 
When the hazes of Indian summer 
mantles our lovely lake, the fair 
Cayuga wraps her robe of royal ty- 
rian purple about her. Its shades 
and tones are such as the most lordly 
potentate of the east might envy. 



45 



Tlieir insignia tliat the Cayngas ever 
kept snspeudeil from tlie ridge pole of 
tlieir bark cabins or linng ever at lianrt 
m the folds of the wigwam ?till casts 
its spell. Like a while winged bene- 
dic'ion the calumet curls its incense 
above us. Gao-ya-de o, the heavens 
rest very near the earth. Almost all 
we CHii hope for wlien we reach that 
golden shore that lies beyond earth's 
troubles lies spread before us here. 
Peace quiet rest. 



Note — The limits of this article 
will not permit of tlie inserting of a 
quantity of material relating to 0-ja- 
geght. There are a number of ex- 
tracts from the diary of Thomas 
Morris (sod of Robert Morris) giving 



a minute description of some inter- 
esting ceremonies at Tioga Point, over 
which O ja geght presided, and his 
(Thomas Morri.s') adoption into the 
Six Nations, also to the delegates of 
the fifty chiefs of the Iroquois to 
Philadelphia at the instance of George 
Washington and their subsequent con- 
ference with O-ji-geght at Buffalo 
Creek; all pointing to the great in- 
fluence exercised by him over the 
councils of the Six Nations, neither 
can any reference be made to Logan 
and other influential chiefs of the 
Cayugas without making the article 
too voluminous. 




[L.S.] 



The Seneca Falls Fire Department 



BY MAJ. PRYCE W. BAILEY. 



Although the village of Seneca Falls 
was incorporated April 22, 1831, there 
are lio records obtainable of the trau- 
eacliou of any business under that act 
until the year 1837. 

Previous to 1832 it is presumable 
that the fire protectiou of the village 
consisted wholly of the tiucket brigade. 
Sometime in that year, according to 
ttie memory ol: our oldest fireman, 
Mr. James Sanderson, the reliance on 
the bucket only was, as decided by a 
few of the energetic citizens of that 
day, an ineflective fire department for 
such a thriving community as Seneca 
talis. So a few of these up-to-date 
young men managed to procure from 
somewhere an engine of a very prim- 
itive sort, as measured by the seeming 
perfect engines of this day, no more so, 
perhaps, than ours will appear to our 
successors seventy years hence. 

This engine was a square box with, 
what appears to have been from the 
description, a x'otary action pump set 
inside it, and from which a shaft ex- 
tended outward to each side of the box ; 
windlass cranks were attached which 
were operated by the firemen. The 
I'ising main of the pump was a flexible 
leather tube with a nuzzle on the top 
end. The captain stood on the box 
and directed the stream toward the 
fire. The water was carried to the 
machine by the bucket men, or women ; 
the box being filled, the ci-ank men 
would pump until it was emptied, and 
rest while it was again being filled. 
This operation was repeated until the 
emergency was passed by the complete 
consumption of the structure. 

The oflicers of this fiie company were 
Captain, Henry VVolsey ; Lieut. Charles 
L Hoskins, brother-in-law to the 
Captain and father of Mr. L. S. Hos- 
kins: Dr. Thomas Swaby, a brother of 
the late Dr. W. A. Swaby, was a mem 
ber, A. N. Beardsley was also a 



member. As a matter of note there 
were no "city fathers" to provide a 
home for, this powerful engine, so it 
was, that, after the fire had consumed 
all property within reach and the fire- 
men had patted each other on the back 
in congratulation over the excellent 
service each had done and the bucket 
brigade weary with their exertions, 
all repaired to their homes leaving the 
engine where it was last used. Per- 
haps on the following day a fireman 
more interested in the machine than 
were his fellows, and possibly, with 
more time than they, would drag it 
into some backyard, there to remain 
until again wanted to frighten a fire 
and kindle enthusiasm. 

All freeholders were, by law, re- 
quired to keep on hand, for fire uses, 
a number of leather or wooden buckets, 
proportionate to their assessment on 
the tax roll, and on an alarm being 
rung were to report at the fire with 
them whether in day or night. At 
the fire two lines were formed, one, the 
males, to pass up the buckets, tne other, 
the females to pass back the empty ones 
to be again filled from the river, wells 
or cisterns as the case required. 

On the south side of Fall street 
there were a number of residences, 
where now is the block of stores; these 
were lower down than the present 
sidewalk line, and their sole water 
supply for all uses was the river; the 
water was drawn up by rope, bucket 
and windlass For the north side of 
the river, both business and residential 
part, this was the source from which 
water for fire protection was obtained. 
The engine, after a fire on the noi'th 
side of Fall street, had been put, by 
the aforesaid interested one, in one of 
the backyards in the rear of a cow 
stable and, in the course of time and 
the usual process of cleaning, the inside 
of the stable, the engine became com- 



47 



pletely buried under a warm coat of 
manure. About this time, one boister- 
ous windy evening the firemen were 
congregat'ed in one of the few village 
grocery stores, when one obperved 
that this would be, or was a bad night 
for a fire, and suggested that it would 
be well to lo k for the engine; when 
Dr. Tom Swaby spoke up saying, 
<'Give yourselves no uneasiness on that 
account gentlemen, for I already 
have two men with dung forks hired 
to go, in case of fire, and dig out the 
engine as soon as the alarm is given." 
With this assurance, the party gave no 
further thought to the tempestuous 
night nor to the possibility of danger 
arising therefrom. This state of fire 
department affairs presumably con- 
tinued for the following four years. 

The charter adopted by the Board of 
Trustees in January of the year 1837, 
provides for the organization of a fire 
department. Article 53 of that instru- 
ment authorizes the Board of Trustees 
to require the inhabitants of the village 
to provide and keep ready for instant 
use a specified number of fire buckets. 

Art. 64 says that the board shall pro- 
cure fire engines and other apparatus 
for the extinguishment of fires and 
provide fit and secure houses and other 
places for keeping and preserving the 
same; and they shall have power to 
organize tire, hook, hose, ladder and 
axe companies; to appoint during 
their pleasure, a chief engineer, and 
two assistant engineers of '>e depart- 
ment, and a competent number of able 
and reputable inhabitants of said vil- 
lage firemen to take the care and man- 
agement of the engines and other ap- 
paratus and impleujents used or pro- 
vided for the extinguishment of fires; 
also to make rules and regulations for 
their government; and to impose such 
reasonable fines and forfeitures upon 
said firemen for a violation of the game 
as they may deem proper; and, for in- 
capacity, neglect of duty or misconduct 
to remove them and apprtint others in 
their place. 

Art. 56, Every fireman who shall 
have faithfully served as such, in said 
village including as well as any period 
before, as after the passage of this 



act. ten c^^nsecutive years, shall be 
hereafter exempt from serving in the 
militia, except in case of war, invasion 
or insurrection ; and the evidence to 
entitle such person to the exemption, 
as provided in this section, shall be a 
certificate under the corpor»te seal 
signed by the president and clerk. 

In July 1837. the board authorized 
and accepted the organization of Fire 
Eiigme Co. No. 2, to consist of forty 
able and respectable men and by resol- 
ution appointed William H. Arn'^tt, 
foreman, and Charles L Ho'^kins, 
clerk, the following named persons 
were chosen firemen : James B G- 
Downes, John W. Dickinson, Willinra 
R. Goetcbins, John T. Andrews, W. A. 
Sacket, H''nry Hayden and Edwin M. 
Conklin. These eonstituted the nucleus 
of a laree and eflSoient fire company 
not No. 2 Engine Co. only, but also of 
the present splendidly equipped de- 
partment of our village. 

The intended organization of a large 
department was clearly indicated in 
the ailopting of the articles of the 
charter, in the appointment of a chief 
engineer and ai^sistants and defining 
their duties, specifying the time for 
the elec'ion of company officers, plac- 
ing the companies under the command 
of forfm^n and providing for the sn- 
pression ot insubordination by the im- 
position of a fine of eight shillines for 
each offense reported to the board by 
the chief. 

'<Sextons of churches and watchmen 
of shops were appointed firemen, who 
when a fire occurs, to repair with all 
haste to the churches and •'hops and 
dilifrentiv rin-j the bel's thereof until 
the danger is passed." Six persons 
from the firemen shall be appointed 
Axe Men, lo take charge of the axes, 
and, on presentation of a eertificate of 
the foreman to the eflTect that they 
have good axes, the board shall pay 
each man twelve shillings They are 
to attend at all fires with their axes 
and shall, be under the direction of 
the trustees and fire wardens, or any 
three of them, Th'y shall cut down 
and remove any building, erection or 
fence for the chfcking of the progress 
of the fire. Any axe men failing to 



48 



attend with his axe or refusing to 
o'oey the orders of the officers in coni- 
ninnd shnll pay a fine ot f 1 00, Axe 
men are j-x^uiipt from cleaning com- 
mitt"e antl workinfr on engines. 

A further rxpansiou ot the defiart- 
m^^n; was btgun by the board in 183S, 
to the extent of detailing a sutiicb nt 
nuniber of men from among ihe fire- 
men to take tht care and m;inai:ern'.ut 
of the hoolis. ladders and inipUnn' nts 
for aiding in the extingiiisimient of 
fires. They shall be exempt from 
Other fire duties but shall be under 
the command of a foreman. The 
above implements are to be kept in a 
secure place designated by the pre^i 
d«^nt, and shall be inspected once each 
month by the chief engineer 

The oomp'inies as above designaied 
shall be known as Hook & Ladder 
Co. No. 1, Axe Co. N'). 1, Engine 
Co. No. 2. All compaides hereafter 
orgsnized shall take numbers next 
above in their order. 

All citizens, when a fire occurs in 
the night, are ord'^ed to place a 
lighted caudle at the front di-or or 
window of their residencen. where it 
shall remain until the lire is ex- 
tiniLHiished and the firemen return. 
Any person who may repair to a 
fire, shall be obedient to the orders of 
the chief engineer in the extiiiguisfc- 
ment of fires and removal r.f goods. 
A r( fusal to obey will be punish, d by 
the impnsuion of a tine of five dollars 
(.f 5.00_) . 

At fires a trustee shall wear n white 
hand on his hat. The ehii-f criyineer 
shall wear a lerdher cap pain'ed white, 
with a gdded front and (he word 
' (Jhief" painted (hereon. He shall 
also carry a spenknig trumpet paiut.-d 
black, with "Chief" painted in white 
therenn. 

A foreman of au Engine Co. when 
on duty shall wear a black father cap 
with white front piece with Ihn word 
"Foreman" and nunibt r of engine 
painted in blnck thereon. 

A foren)an of the H. and L Co. shall 

wear a cap like that pres(!ribed for 

engine foreman, with number of com- 

pany and his iiuiials on front piece. 

A foreman or a hose company shall 



wear a cap like that prescribed for H. 
& L foreman. 

A forera'^n of the axe company eh'dl 
wear a c'lp like that prescribed for H. 
& L, foreman except that an axe sh;id 
b.' painted in black on the trout piece. 
It is made a duty of the clif't to report 
all viiilaliuns uf thes.; ordinances lo the 
Board ot Trustees 

Constables are required to watch 
out for tires and lo give alarms, 
keep the street numbers of the chiefs 
and their asstiatauts couspieiously posted 
in the tvatch house; and wdeu an al»rm 
13 sound- d uotity theiie persons at once; 
al'^o to watch the prendses after the 
engines nave returned to their houses 
after ttie fire is distinguished. 

By resolution of the buaid, George 
H. Mc'lary was appciuted chief en- 
gineer in the }ear 1827. Mr IMeClary 
who had ihe honor ot the first appoint- 
m' nt as chief was a noted manufacturer 
of that day and owned and conducted a 
foundry and mnchine shop on the pro- 
petty now occnpi'.d by the In.^ersoll 
paoer mill. 

I he No. 2 engine was purchased 
from Lewis Seelye, a builder of these 
goods at lioohester, N. Y. The engine, 
Hiiok & Ladder, Axe a'ld Hohh com- 
panies were housed on a lot owned by 
Anse) Ba^com, situated between the 
kjeiieea House and the ravine on Hiyard 
street (opposite the present house of 
No. 3 steauier.) Mr. Biscooi stipu- 
lated that the house was to Ite movtd 
ctl" if Die lot bl-.ould bn sold. 

Ansel N. Beardsley was appointed 
foreman of the combined II. & L and 
Axe eoisipauies in August, 18o7. One 
uionlh later Silas Hewitt was nmde a 
fireman and appoinled foreman of the 
above combiiintion, vice Beardsley, de- 
clined, louring tue year 1837. the fnl- 
lowiug named were appointed fitemeu 
and attached to No. 2 Engine company. 
J'UUt s A Adair, Joshua M'srtin, Geo. 
Edeou, J.ihn Kiu rr, Williatn P I'odard, 
Charles Lowry. Frank 1'. Lath-'im, 
J.icob Clerk, H. C. Silstiy, .Siepht-n 
Bishop, William L McKee, Joh>i H, 
Wheeler. O. A. Campbell, C- S, Hos- 
kins, O. C. Watson, H. O Clark, 
George Hockuell, Ira A. MeB un, a\. 
fred 6. Miller, J. B Johusun, George 



49 



Steelier, Jacob H. Corl, George Hall, 
John Ci-osset, W. S. Fin ley, P. Van 
Ness, Ira Stockman, Seth A. Thomas, 
Richard Slradder, E. J. Thomas, S. B, 
Westcott. 

In June 1838. the Captain of No. 2 
was authorized to procure a hose cart 
for his CO in pan}' ; this is the first men- 
tion of a vehicle fur this purpose. 
The small quantity of hose that had 
been m use was carried on the engine ; 
but when Captain Arnett was ordered 
to purchase 150 feet i)f new hose at a 
price not to exceed $180, it became 
necessary to have a more convenient 
place than the deck of the engine to 
carry it- 

In order to meet the expense of this 
unusual increase of the department the 
following gentlemen advanced $10.50 
each: Ebenezer Ingalls, William H. 
King, Silas Keeler, Henry Wolsey, 
C. L. Hoskins, William L. Gaylord, 
J. Bennett & Co., Edward S. Latham, 
Shelton Wood, Mathias B. Bellows, 
John S. Gay, Garrett V. Sacket They 
were reimbursed with interest 

The hose cart was made by Van 
Ness & Willet at a cost of $34.00. 
The tax budget for this year has an 
item of $100.00 to be raised for the 
improvement of the tire department. 

In March of this year George H. 
McClary was removed from the posi- 
tion of chief engineer and Edward S. 
Latham was appointed to the vaeancy. 
In July, 1839, Samuel lleeve, W. li 
Lathrop, William Cain, Henry Sey- 
mour, Obadiah Latham, W. P. Gay- 
lojd, D. Sacket, were appointed fire- 
men of No. 2 Engine Co. 

In September a motion prevailed in 
the board of trustees to disband the 
H. & L. Co. until suitable and proper 
apparatus is obtained, and George 
lioeknell was appointed and author- 
ized to procure proper implemeuts for 
the company. They seem to have 
been procured by Henry Hockncll at a 
billed cost of $23.69. 

Ira Stowell was appointed to the 
H. & L. Co. and Wm. E. Williams to 
the Engine Co. 

The 11. & L. Co. seems to have been 
a troublesome member of the depart- 
ment from the day of its organization. 



In February of the year 1840, J. S. 
Bristol was appointed to make a 
thorough investigation of the H. & L. 
and report. His report was probably 
an oral one, for in this same month 
there were additional bills to tne 
amount of $102.65 prenented and paid 
for, on account of II. & L. wagon. 
Captatn Hewitt was directed to find a 
place to store the present unfinished 
and imperfect wagon and implements. 
In November of this year Edward 
S. Latham and George H. McCIary 
were appointed as a committee to 
have the H. & L. wagon oompleted 
and procure a house for it. The com- 
mittee did its work and the wagon was 
housed near the Franklin House. 

In February of this year, 1841, the 
following bills were audited and paid : 
Edward S. Latham to material and 
labor, II. & L. house, $44. 4G; Silas 
Hewitt to ladder, |3 00; C. D. Myn- 
derse, to ropes, etc., $16.88. 

In January, 1842, the II & L. Co. 
is ordered to parade with its apparatus 
on the first Thursday of each month, 
and is repuired to put its apj)aratus ia 
good serviceable order under pain of 
disbandment. The result of these or- 
ders we find a resolution passed by the 
board in July, disbamiing the II. & L. 
Co. and its members be given certifi- 
cates for the time served. 

This year marks the extinction of 
one company and the birth of another. 
On the 25th of July, 1842, Rescue En- 
gme Co. No. 3 was organized for the 
purpose as giveu in the application of 
its officers to the board of trustees for 
acceptance, '-to aid more elfectually in 
carrying into operation an act estab- 
lishing a tire department in the village 
of Seneca Falls. 

The names presented to the board 
were K. G. Noyes, Arza L. Burrit. 
Jas. Sanderson, Jr., Wm. H. Arnett, 
C. Kenyon, George R. Chase, W. B. 
Maynnrd, Charles Platten, John W. 
Conklin, David R. Gould, Chas B. 
Keeler, Isaac VanTassell, Thomas 
Carr, John Leach, John C Lace, Geo. 
A. VanCleef, Wm. Keith, James 
Dennison, Bayard Miller, Wm. Clark, 
F. J. Mills, Stephen Baker, Alfred 
Wood, H. J. Elliot, Wm. Laugworthy, 



50 



Washburn Race, D. C. Bloomer, J. V. 
Chamberlain, A. E. Chamberlain, I. 
H. Ariiett, John H. Davis, O. S Lat- 
ham, James N. Underhill, H. Quacken- 
bush, M. H. Chrysler, James Bellows, 
D. y. Sacket, John Miller. Claience 
Twist, A. K. Townseud, F. F. Carr, 
Edward Mynderse, David Cole, E. J. 
Tyler. Walstein Failing. M. J. Smith, 
Isaac Pitcher, W. Majfary, C. E. 
Wheeler, Peter A. D<^y, Euo;eue Hern- 
don, Barney Travis, J. H. Cool, Joseph 
Osborn, Henry Carpenter, S. U. 
WoodhuU, Smiih Briggs, C. C. Cole- 
man, Gabriel Scott. 

This company was accepted by the 
board of trustees and an engine house 
was established on Canal street in the 
rear of the Baptist church. A little 
later the company was reorganized and 
strengthened, and, hy resolution of the 
board an ofier of $435 was made for 
the engine house. The next move 
toward properly housing the company 
which was made was the appointment 
of a committee consisting of Silas 
Hewitt, O. S Latham and J. P. Fair- 
child to select a prop(!r site for a house 
in the 2nd ward (at this time the vil- 
lage was divided into two wards, the 
north side of the river being the 1st). 
A site was selected by this committee 
near the southeast corner of Bridge and 
Bayard streets. A house was built 
thereon, costing $288. Mr. O. B. 
Latham was the builder. 

As before stated, the engine No. 2 
was built by Lewis Seelye of Roch- 
ester ;so No. 2 wanted a macliine equally 
aeggood and, if possible, a little better. 
So in May 1844 the board asked for an 
appropriation of $500.00 to pay for a 
machine. William H. King was ap. 
pointed, a committee to inquire into 
the merits of engines now made ; after 
receiving Mr. King's report, the presi- 
dent was authorized to contract with 
Mr. Seelye for an engine like that he 
had built for No. 2, at a price of $800- 

The chief engineer is again ordered 
to inspect the H. & L outfit and re- 
port its condition. In April, 1845 is 
made the first mention of a reservoir, 
this is in a resolution of the board ap- 
pointing a committee to notify Mr. 
Asa Fuller of the faulty condition of 



the one built by him in the first ward. 
Reference is also made to a hydrant at 
the Stone Mill through the payment of 
the bill of William Burtless for repair- 
ing it. 

Agam in June, 1845, George Hock- 
nell and J. W. Dickinson are appointed 
to examine the condition of the hooks, 
poles and ladders of the H. & L. outfit. 
Birdsali Holly, the inventor of the 
elipticnl rotary pump and engine which 
contributed more largely to making 
Seneca Falls a world wide celebrated 
fire apparatus building village, than 
any other event, was appointed a fire- 
man in September 1846. 

In October 1847, President J. K. 
Brown and Jr P. Fairchild were auth- 
orized by the board to purchase a lot 
for No. 3 engine house and to con- 
tract for the moving of the house. 

At the annual meeting of the de- 
partment, William H. Arnett w«s 
designated chief and was instructed to 
use his influence with the board to in- 
duce it to accept the H. & L. Co as a 
member of the department. 

In May, 1848, $40.00 was appro- 
priated for the two engine companies, 
to be paid in quarterly installments of 
$5 00 to ench company. It is to be 
justly presumed that this pittance was 
to cover the cost of the supplies only. 

During this year. No. 3 went through 
the process of reorganization for the 
purpose of weeding out the worthless 
members. The records show that, 
during the six years of its existence, it 
had performed a deal of arduous duty 
under many discouraging conditions, 
such as non attendance at the regular 
meetings, the impossibility to collect 
tines and dues from the negligent and 
insubordinate members. So it was re- 
solved to disband and reorganize under 
the following pledge, to wit, "We the 
undersigned do hereby agree to live up 
to our code of bylaws made for our 
internal government; and we do further 
pledge ourselves to be guided by them 
in all cases, initiation, fines, etc, etc, 
Thomas Carr, E. Norcott, Byron 
Beebe, D C. Bloomer, E. J. Tyler, 
George Hall, C. C. Brown, James 
Bellows, William Wilbur, C. C. 
Coleaaan, W. H. Foster, Walton Jones, 



51 



Charles J McKee, James II. Underbill, 
George Stevenson, John F. Wheeler, 
C. B. Keeler, Jr., H Hadley, ]i. Aspell, 
Thomas Lnsk, T. J. Crosby, William 
Crawford, Robert R, Perry, E. Craw- 
foid, Charles Twist, bamuel A. Steven- 
son, U. W. Seymour, Henry Bellows, 
John Lefch, Wiliiam Gunn, Bradley 
Miller, Leonard Egleslon, William 
Arnett, Walstein Failing, G. R. Cbaee, 
A E. Chamberlain. 

A new uniform was adopted as fol- 
lows: Hat of glazed oil silk, red flannel 
shirt, dark trousers with India rubber 
buttons. 

No. 3's records. "We were chal- 
lenged by No. 2 and we beat them to 
death." Thus giving evidence of the 
effect of the recent re-organization and 
the weeding out of the company all of 
the unserviceable material. 

In April the taxpayers meeting voted 
$100 for contingent fund, and $160 
for new hose, and directed Chief Ar- 
nett to sell all old hose and apply the 
proceeds to the purchase of additi(>nal 
new hose. In July the No. 3 engine 
was moved to a lot on Cayuga street, 
a part of the Daniels property, and 
adjoining what is now Story 's store- 
house. 

Again in April of this year, 1850, 
an appropriation of $200 is asked for, 
to be applied to the purchase of a new 
n. & L. wagfin. 

Ttie recently adopted oew charter 
maKes it obligatory for the chief and 
his assistants to see that H. & L. ap- 
paratus is always in order for instant 
use; also to command at all fires until 
the flames are extinguished ; and they 
are empowered to compel obedience on 
the part of all subordinate ofiicers on 
pain of suspension of the oftender and 
to appoint one to supersede the sus 
pended one and report his action to the 
board at its next meeting. 

In June of this year the chief was 
ordered to report the condition of No. 
3 engine, state its requirements for 
putting it in good serviceable order; 
this report was evidently made at once 
because at ihe next meeting of the iioard 
he was directed to send the suction 
hose of this engine to New York to be 
repaired. In August the suction hose 



was received repaired at a cost of 
$59 75. So we are left with the im- 
pression that the engine was deprived 
of its suction hose for at least one 
month. 

In March 1851, Carlton W. Seeley 
was paid $12.50 for barn storage of 
the H. & L. outht. A committee con- 
sisting of Mes.srs. Thomas Carr and 
James Bellows made an oral report of 
the pret^ent condition of that apparatus 
that was continuously rising to trouble 
the board. 

The brothers, Henry and Perry 
Stowell were appointed firemen in 
April 1851. 

In June, H. W. Seymour and Bellows 
were appointed to inquire into tbe 
condition of the fire department fund 
in order to ascertain whether it would 
warrant the purchase of new hose for 
the engines. 

In September Thomas Carr super- 
ceded W. II. Arnett as chief of the 
tire department. 

On October 12, 1852, the whole fire 
department turned out to attend the 
funeral of Stilman Brim, a brother of 
A. W. Brim. 

In February, 1852, the H. & L. com- 
pany, or rather, the outfit, comes up 
again in the appointment of a com- 
mittee to ascertain tbe approximate cost 
of putting the implements in order for 
use ; in response to the report, the 
committee is empowered to procure 
ropes, etc, and provide a building to 
keep them in. 

In June. 1854 tbe Board of Trustees 
relaxed its tight grip on the money 
bags and voted the magnificent sum of 
$60 for the proper celebration of Inde- 
pendence day by the fire department 

A special tax meeting was called in 
this mouth, in response to the prayers 
of a largely signed petition, for the pur- 
pose of voting the sum of $2,800 to be 
applied to the purchase of two first- 
class, 12 inch cylinder, engines with all 
modern improvements, and 1,000 feet 
of best quality hose. As a matter of 
course the appropriation carried with a 
rush, because, at about this time, the 
active rivalry of competing builders of 
fire engines, had given a sudden im- 
petus to a spirit of strife for excellence 



52 



OD the part of the fire companies 
throughout the country, by the pre- 
senting of cheap prizes to be competed 
for, with their engines. So, the fire- 
men of Seneea Falls desired to be put 
in possession of nothing short of the 
best, and, as the spirit of strife was 
rampant, the companies increased their 
membersiiip until they embraced the 
adult male population of the village. 

The necessity for properly organized 
and drilled hose men became more ap- 
parent, and action was taken by ttie 
board ordering that twenty men be 
detached from each engine company 
and drilled as hose men by a com- 
petent officer. This action of the au- 
thorities led to the forming of a hose 
company in April, 1864, which Was 
named Yanliee Hose Co. Its first 
foreman was Charles J. Martin, who 
held the position a short time and was 
succeeded by William H. Pollard. 

In August, 1850, the Continental 
Engine Company was accepted by the 
village and was designated "Con- 
tinental No. 1." This company took 
the better of the two old engines. 

The two new engines made by But- 
ton & Co. of Waterford, N. Y., were 
delivered in August and were accepted 
provided certain necessary alterations 
were made in them. The president 
was then authorized to order from 
Button & Co. two hose carts at a price 
of $298 for the two, if three trumpets 
for the chief and his assistants could be 
gotten ir the transaction. We got the 
carte. 

For the following two years the 
trustees were seemingly kept busy au- 
diting bills for alterations and repairs 
to tlie engines and hose carts, but all 
such bills were charged to the account 
of Button & Co. and were presumably 
allowed by them in the final settle- 
ment. 

In lebruary, 1856, $100 was voted 
for a reservoir fund. The chief was 
directed to ascertain if the old red 
storehouse could be rented for Conti- 
nental Engine Co. This company had 
taken the old engine of No. 2, and the 
president was requested to advertise 
the No. 3 engine as for sale. In May 
of this year E. J. Tyler was ordered to 



purchase 200 feet of good hose foi- No. 
1 from Button & Co. 

In October Chief Lucius C. Gii)i>s, 
father of the late ex-senator Gibb-^, or 
dered out the three engine comp icit^s 
to play for prizes. At this hcim^ 
tournament No. 1 captured the firttt 
prize by runnln^ wiih their engine 
twenty rods, attaching the suction 
hose and throwing water through fiilty 
feet of hose in 1 minute, 25 seconds. 
This was considered an excellent ex. 
hibition of the celerity of action and 
perfect drill of the company. 

H. W. Seymour was appointed chief 
vice tribbs who had left town in 
November. 0.a December 28, 1855, 
the whole depa»'tment turned out to at- 
tend the funeral of ex-chief Gibbs, 
who had been accidentally killed at 
Whitehall, N. Y. 

On February 12, 1856, in tax meet- 
ing tbe citizens voted an appropriation 
of $200 for reservoirs and ordered that 
two be built during tbe year. 

In May of this year the old No. 3 
engine and the village hearse were 
put up at auction sale. J. H. Cool 
bought the engine at $100. There 
being no one present who thought he 
needed a hearse it was not sold. 

In August, 1856, E. Edson was 
awardeci a contract to build two reser- 
voirs at $70 each. 

Continental Engine Co. was au- 
thorized to have such alterations made 
in their engine as will permit the water 
to be taken in at the front part of the 
machine. 

In September, in preparation for a 
great water throwing tournament, so 
called, the three engines were put in 
the best possible condition at Cowing 
& Co.'s works, which had Mr. H. W. 
Seymour, a thorough fireman, as super- 
intendent. 

Following tbe improvement of No. 1 
engine it became necessary to increase 
its membership for althoufih the en- 
gine was classed as No. 2, its cylinders 
had been enlarged to such an extent as 
to be but 1 8 inch less in diameter than 
the first clnss engines, so the company 
presented to the trustees for acceptance 
the following list of names : George 
Stevenson, Wm. W. Norton, C. B. 



5S 



Randolph. Charles Parker, J. M. Gil- 
ford, T. J. Robinson, R. Ritlley, B. F. 
Peck, A. S. Auld, Thomas Burlnett, 
C. B. Brusie, Iliraui Alniy, George 
Niles, Joiin Youngs, Kandolpli Irlewitt, 
John McAithnr, Charles Davis, L. W. 
Fisher. Win. V.-iuKIrk, Charles lUiiker, 
Peter Feeck, jr., Mayuard Slont, Oscar 
Moore, George Cowing, J. Y. Churc 
hill, C. W. Coleman, G. A. Schyler, 
William Wilson, Garrett Boirart, J. S. 
Moore, Lewis Tripp, R. Milicr, ilenry 
Mauwarring, Richard Cnrran. 

On August 22, 1857, it is recordtd 
that, the annual meeting of the hre 
department was liehi in iir,oi\ Tem- 
plars hall of the Wooclwnrth block, 
northeast corner of Ovid and Bayard 
streets. 

In April 1858, the No. 3 engine 
house was rented to a Mi.'^s Sanborn, 
to use as a school house, for six 
shillings per week. 

An annual department meeting was 
held in Concert Hall, now Ryan's 
furniinrH repository, on August 22, 
1858, for the purpose of selectnig a 
chief; because of some disagreement. 
Captain W. R. Goetchiiis of No. 2 
marched his men out of the ball. 
Those remaining elected Jacob 11. 
Corl to the position. Corl declined to 
accept. The situation regarding the 
matter was reported to the president 
who t;ien appointed Edwin J. Tyler to 
the place. Tyler filled the position for 
two months only wlh n Simon W. Ar- 
nett was appointed to fill out the re- 
mainder of the year but who filled the 
place acceptably until 1867. 

On October G. 185!), the department 
consisting of ''Continentar' ^No. 1, 
♦<Seneea Chief" No. 2, "Rescue" No. 3 
and Yankee Hose No. 1 passed in re- 
view before the president and clii* f , and 
afterwards gave exliibilions in water 
throwing, and returned to their quar- 
ters ; in the evening had a grand torch 
light parade. 

A report of a committee nia<lc to the 
Board of Trustees relative to the pur- 
chase of the "Livery Stable" premises, 
which had been made by the board of 
the preceeding year, showed that a lot 
could be purchased and a brick engine 
house built thereon for $800 less than 



the livery stable purchase could be 
fitted up for. The committee recom- 
mended the repudiation of the pur- 
chase and that the amount now paid 
be cliarged oil to profit and loss. The 
matter was referred back to the com- 
mittee with instructions to make the 
best terms possible. 'Ihe aflair was 
amicably settled after a time. The 
livery stable referred to, is the old 
building on the east side of Bridge 
street opposite the Franklin House 
barn. 

Soen afterwards a lot wag bought 
for $175 by the committee, and the 
foundaiion for the fuiure building, and 
the reservoir 25x18x5 1-2 deep was 
coniracte:l for $lGy and the work ad- 
vanced with rapidity. On February 5, 
1860, Silsby, Mynderse & Co., sub- 
mitted to the trustees a proposal to fur- 
nish the village a small steam fire 
engine, to be drawn by men for the 
sum of $2,500 and also proposed to 
furnish an engineer to run it at fires, 
and kes'p the engine in repair for one 
year for an additional sum of $150. 
Both pr'posiiions were submitted to 
the annual tax meeting whicii was 
held in Mai'ch, and both ibe t)ids were 
accepted ; and a further appriipriation of 
$885 for ^department maiutainance was 
voted. In May, the steamer was de- 
livered. The trustees ordered that it 
be kept in the house of No. 1, and 
that engine companies Nos. 1 and 3 be 
consolidated into one company of sixty- 
seven men ; and the No. 2 engine 
offered for sale. 

In November 1860. No. 2 engine 
company disbanded and gave up their 
engine to the village after an eventful 
existence of twenty three years. 

On the morning of January 21, 1861 
Captain W. R. Goetchius was found 
drowned in the Dey race uear the 
present location of the Climax Specialty 
Go's Works He had been the fore- 
man of the No. 2 engine company for 
eighteen years He mas n model fire- 
man of those early days, faithful to 
every trust, loyal to his cnmrades and 
a vigilant, indefatigal)le f(n"eman who 
preferred the captaincy of his company 
to promotion to a higher grade to 
which he had many times been urged. 



54 



In March of this year, the trustees 
recommended the appropriation of 
$3,100 for the purpose of building two 
engine houses, one on each side of the 
river; but the recommendation was 
not favored by the taxpayers and it was 
voted down. 

In May 1861 the Board of Trustees 
resolved to is-sue exemption certificates 
to all firemen who volunteer for the 
war; this was the practice for the 
succeeding four years. 

In August IStJl, a compaHy was 
organized and ar-cepted under the 
name of Excelsior Hose, No, 3. The 
following named persons cumposed the 
company: John Arnett, Theodore Pel- 
ham, Patrick Burns, Owen Burns, 
M. McCabe, M. L. Waldo. William 
Burns, Michael Knight, D. T. Kneath, 
Thomas Mackin, Edward Riley, Pat- 
rick Sullivan, R. Sawyer, Thomas 
Markey. Thomas Yoe, Thomas Mc 
Grain, Joseph Adams, Charles Mar- 
shall. The life of this company was a 
short one. A majority of the members 
were in the army or navy inside of 
six months after the company was 
organized. 

In October the department turned 
out to attend the funeral of Corporal 
McClure, a member of a recruiting 
squad for the regular army, who had 
been murdered in the village. 

In February, 1862, the board formed 
a plan to raise |2,000 from taxes and 
add to it $i,500 from the general fund 
for the purpose of building a brick en- 
gine house on the north side of the 
river; four months thereafter a con- 
tract was lot to Edward S. Latham to 
build a house in accordance with plans 
submitted by him for the sum of 
$1,694. 

In April, 1863, a contiact was let to 
Kirby & VabGorder to build a brick 
engine house on the south side of the 
river for the sum of $1,289; as a 
reservoir and foundati( n for this build- 
ing was already made. The No. 3 
engine company, Henry Churchill, 
foreman, took formal possession of 
this house in August, 1863. 

In November, 1864, Chief Thomas 
Carr reported to the trustees that he 
had sold the No. 2 engine to the vil- 



lage of Groton, N. Y., for the sum of 
$500. 

A third attempt to maintain an H. & 
L company was made in January 1866, 
by appointing twenty men for this 
purpose to serve under the command 
of the foreman of Yankee Hose, No. 1 . 
From this time to 1868 there was no 
extraordinai'y activity, nor many 
changes in the department. 

The year 1868, was a busy year 
caused largely by a series of supposed 
incendiary fires. In February of that 
year the authorities voted to purchase 
a second steamer which in July was 
delivered to the No 3 company. It 
was christened < 'Phoenix. " James Des- 
mond was appointed engineer. In 
order to be up to date and in readiness, 
a bed was ordered for the No. 3 engine 
house and the engineer was supposed to 
occupy it. All of this preparation and 
precaution was followed up by the oflfer- 
ing of a reward of $500 for the arrest 
and conviction of the person or per- 
sons who had burned so many build- 
ings. One person was caught in (he 
act of setting fire to the building across 
the canal from the Phoenix Mills, but 
the meshes of the law were too large 
to hold him for conviction. But the 
incendiarism was checked. 

In January 1869, a movement was 
made to consolidate the engine and 
hose companies to forty members, in 
order to increase the efiiciency of the 
department, and, at the same time re- 
duce the expense of maintainauce. 
This movement seems to have awaKened 
Some insubordination in the department 
which, in April brought out a report, 
from a special committee of trustees on 
fire department afiairs, which con- 
cluded with a recommendation that the 
volunteer organizations, in so far as 
the steamer companies were concerned 
be abolished, and a paid fire depart- 
ment of two companies be established 
and maintained. The committees re- 
port was accepted and its recommend- 
ations were adopted by the trustees. 

By authority of the board, Pi'esident 
H. C. Burt bought the house and land 
adjoining the No 3 house for the sum 
of $546, and ordered a barn and stable 
for the horses which Messrs. Hoag and 



66 



Jewett had bought for the department, 
built thcreou. 

Ill 1871 Moses Ruinsey bought ihe 
old No 3 engine for the sum of $450. 

On October 1, 1874, the "Red 
Rover" Engine Co. w»s orgauized as a 
p«rt of the village fire department to 
operate in the part of the village c?ill<'d 
''iiumseyville" oulj', except in (Emer- 
gencies, provided that the ftutboritics 
turned over to the company tlie old en- 
gin*^, hose cart and hose. John Mc- 
Bride was chosen president, VViiliam 
Walker secretary ahd O. F. Cule lore- 
man. Forty-seven men jobjed the 
company. JB^om this time the com 
pany grew until it embraced a large 
pordon of the male adults of the vil- 
lage who had not previously earned 
exemption through service. In 1884 
it changed its name from '*Red Rover" 
to "Gleasou Fire Patrol." In 1886 
the authorities of the village ordered 
the members who resided east of Wal- 
nut street, to, in case of fire, report 
for service on No 1 Steamer. 

On February 25. 1890, the Gleasou 
Fire Patrol disbanded. 

About 1880 the Rumweyville Hose 
Co. was organized with Henry Prutig 
as foreman and the following member- 
ship: Wm. Lfdlon, B. Wooiidge, John 
Merrimau, Wm Bradley, Wm. (J* ok, 
Geo. Feecb, B. F. McLiridp, Wm. 
Binney, F. Holmes, Charles Wallers, 
Alfred Kirg, C. Wamby, Wm Rupert, 
George Miner and Jefl. Merrigan. 
The death of this company is not re- 
corded. It is probable, however, that 
it expired at the time of tho disband- 
ment of the Glefison Fire Patrol. 

In October, of 1880, the Telephone 
Co. put alarm boxes in each firemnn's 
house of the paid department. Of 
course as a bed was provided iu the 
engine house of the ''Phoenix," no 
alarm box was put in the engineers' 
residence. One night in iSJoveniber 
the engineer concluded to spend a night 
at home which proved a cosily conclu- 
sion to himself and the village, for 
during his absence the engine house 
caught fire, and when the firemen ar- 
rived there the engine was cold, the 
house all on fire and no engineer at 
hand, so the house burned and the en- 



gineer was relieved. In December the 
village collected $1,181 from the in- 
surance cmp'iny, and Ji'hn Urquhart, 
the present engineer, was appointed 
vice Di'smond, reliuved. 

On Jauuary 1. 1881, the company 
kuown as ihe fcjilsby Hoge No 2, was 
organized with the following member- 
ship: Clarence A MacDonald, C. A. 
Reamer, Thomas Carr, Jr., Wm. Bin- 
ney, Charles S. Sanderson, J. S. 
Ilurd, George Vosburg, Russell Carter, 
Wm. Desmond, T. Short, Wm. Cory, 
J. Powell, T. Taylor, J. T. Rourk, 
W. E. Rupert, W. Hinckley, S Trow- 
briilge, B A. McBride, J. Churchill, 
Alexander Brown, Thomas Usher and 
Wm. Van Ho u ten. 

Clarence Mac D.)nald was chosen as 
foreman. It was accepted as an inde- 
pendent compiny, but while their ap- 
parades was oeiug made by the Silsby 
Mfg. Co., they were ordered to take 
(juariers wi:h, .•uid act under the orders 
of Steamer No. 1 and did so until some 
tiuie in 1882. As there seemed to be a 
redandance of hose companies, the 
company decided to exi'hange their 
hose carriiixe for a chemical engine, 
so on May 21, 1883, it began its inde- 
pendent service as the "Silsby Chem- 
icaf' company. It was quartered in 
the Ptioenix Block about where now the 
W^estern Union Telegraph office is. In 

1884 it left the Phoenix block and took 
temporary quarlers with Rescue H. & 
L in the Johnson h.Mll block. In March 

1885 it returned to its old quarters iu 
the Phoenix block. Iu May 1888, the 
fir;<t move vfas made iu the project for 
building a house for its own use. Ou 
the 18lh of May, a committee was ap- 
pointed to select a lot, but not until 
December 1888, was the committee 
authorized to purchase the lot on Fall 
street, ''next east of the Gardner- 
hou-e, " and to prepare plans fur a 
''Chemical" house. The committee 
promptly bojight the lot- Contract 
was entered into with F. E Morehouse 
on April 10. 1889, and on December 
first of that year held its first meeting 
in the new and well appointed house. 
During the year 1889 the company 
and the village authorities were greatly 
exercised over a difficulty originating 



66 



in the suspension of W. M. Beers, one 
of the coinuany, by the villnge aulh- 
orities. After much ill teeling had 
been expressed, it was discovered that 
the trustees, Chief engineer and the 
compnny had exceeded their pnwers in 
this unfortunate afiair, one in the issue 
of an oHeusive order, and the otlier in 
too long loyally supporting an cfteud- 
iug member, as soon as this discovery 
was made a compromise resulted and 
an amicable settlement eii'ected. Be- 
fore dropping this purt of luy paper I 
wish to say that tlie records are the 
most orderly, the most correctly kept of 
any that 1 have examined in my re- 
search. Its business has been tran- 
sacted on true business principles. Of 
all the fire companies that have sprung 
into existence in the past seventy years 
it is the sole souvenir. Its survival, 
in my opinion, is Inrgely the r^'sult of 
correct and legal guidance. 

On Aprd 22, 1881. was held thu first 
meeting of a few young men to con- 
sider the advisability of (n-gauiziug an 
independent Hook & Lidder company. 
The result of their deliberations was 
the formation of the body known as 
''llericue'' 11. & L, This body was 
made up of young men of high char- 
acter and standing in the eommunity. 
The charter members were Charles T. 
Silsby, W- B. Harper, Frank VVestcott, 
11. W. Long, VV. T. Seymour, J. G. 
Armstrong, Charles Beh, H. N. Rum- 
sey, LouisMaurcr, A. M Brideubecker, 
GcDrge B Seely, C. Mathews. 

W. B. Harper was chosen its first 
president. The popularity of this 
company drew out applications tor 
membership in great numbers but only 
those were admitted that could pass 
their censorial committee. I here re- 
cord the names of a few who were ac- 
cepted viz George B. Davis, Ed M. 
Rumsey, F. W. Owens, W. B. Murray, 
H. C. Knickerbocker, W. C. Muudv, 
J H. Breslin, J G. Menjjes, M. D. 
Bellows, F. W. Davis, R. P. Lathrop, 
C. S. Hood, Georo;e Norton, E. W. 
Addison, Charles Chamberlain. C. H. 
WiUiaras, A. M. Johnson, W. W. 
Warner, R. C. Wayne, C. H. West- 
cott. C. W. Riegle. 

In July 1881, an order was placed 



with Rumsey & Co. for a truck with a 
complete equipement to be made in ac- 
cordance with the sketch and specifi- 
cations submitted by the company. As 
it was to be a more elaborate vehicle 
than had been before built, much time 
was taken in its makeup and finish. 
It was delivered to the company -Tan. 
uai'y 2, 1882. The company records 
exhibit a very deep interest, in the 
management of its attairs, on the part 
of its meuibers, for about ten years 
of its existence ; later the mterest began 
to lag. In 1895 it held its most suc- 
cessful fair ever held in our village by 
such an organization. In February, 
1896, the inevitable appeared in the 
form of a resolution to disband which 
was adopted; and in Ax)i'il. Edwaul ftl. 
Rumsey, its president; Fred Maier, 
Jr., treasurer, George Norton, H. W. 
Long, and VV. B. Harper, trustees 
closed tlie accounts of its members and 
dissolved. Thus ended, after fifteen 
years of excellent service the only suc- 
cessful H. & L. comjiany the village 
ever held. 

In June 1882, the "Ramsey Fro- 
tectives" was organized and accepted 
by the authorities. The duties of this 
company were to be the protection of 
the goods that should be removed from 
burning buildings and the extinguish- 
ment of incipient fires. To this end, 
the equipment consisted of ropes, 
stakes, sledges, buckets and portable 
extinguishers. I give yni the names 
of the active meaibers: Elgar Page, 
George H. Ra\mond, Robert Gott, 
Byron S. Latimer, Jas. A Hibbard, 
\Vm Hinckley, Spencer Royston, Geo. 
E. Lewis, Geo. H. Amidou, A. M. 
Ha'l, Geo H. Bicknell, Walter Lewis, 
John H. Bilby, F. UeReamer, Chas. 
O. Mosher, W. T. Smith, Fred Dun- 
ham, William Nichols, Chas. P«ge, 
John Ryan, M. E Re<igan, A. C Marsh 
Wm Sutherland, S. Woods, Harry 
Snellgrove, Wm Warren, John Zim- 
merman, John Powell, Richard War- 
ren, Robert Warren. It was a lively, 
active and useful company that was 
richly backed by the late E. A Rum- 
sey. after whose changed circum- 
stances and the altering conditions in 
the fire department, the interest began 



67 



to lag The oompany ou ^iveiubcr 
22, 1894, divided its property among 
the remaining iQt'mhers nnd dibbandcd. 

On January 27, 1887, the Bai.ey 
Hose Company w>iM oigaiized for tlie 
purpose of affonhng ui\ adequate lira 
prottctiou for the southwestern portion 
of the villfige. TUe organizers were 
Fred VV. DtMot', James .Sinjiuon?, 
P.Htrick Dufly, l^-.triok FI. White. 
John iV'aley, George St'i'Ic, Joseph 
C-impbell, F. J. Far'-on, Pr.tiick Mc 
Guire, William II. Durnin, Qveu Col- 
gan, Owen F. Oake>, Richard Carraher, 
J. C. Hughes John Lncy, Thomas 
Doole.y, J. A. Halpin, Michsel Maloney 
who chose as officers, president, F. 
W. Dtsmott; vice president W. P. 
iVIeCau! ; -^eeretary and tivasurer, O- 
F. Onkos; foi'eman, James Siramous. 

With the proci-eds of a very success- 
ful fair the compraiy pmchased a 
handsome combined par:i«e and service 
hose carriage. After two y* ars ser- 
vice as a hose company it was thought 
that more efficient serviee (iould be 
rendered with a chemical en;j;!ue, so 
the ho?e carriage was sold to the vil- 
lage of Morristown, N. J., and a (chem- 
ical engine purchased from tL-e Hollo- 
ways of Baltimore, Md. 

The wisdom of the change in appar- 
atus was clearly demonstrated ou the 
occasion of the jrreat fire ou July 30, 
1890, when the Bailey's and Silsby's 
chemicals worktd alternately for eight 
consecutive hours near the Tripp hcu-e 
ou State street and successfully checked 
the progress of the fire in that 
dii'eotion. 

The quarters of the company was the 
brick building at the south end of the 
Bridge street bridgo whii'h, ou the en- 
trance of the Lehigh Vdl'ey railroad 
into the village, was converted into a 
passenger sta'ion for that road. 

During its existence the company 
maintained a perfectly (quipped fire 
house, having six brd^, sliding po!e 
and traps. 

The bunkers were Frank J. Durnin, 
Horace Safely, B. F. Egllest-n, P. R. 
Ferguson, P. H. Hughes and W. P. 
McCaul. 

In 1898 by reason of being deprived 
of a home, the railroad conipauy re- 



quiring possession of their house, it was 
decided to sell the property of the com- 
pany and divide the proceeds. The 
engine was sold to Gleaeon & Bailey 
who again sold it to the village of 
Ovid. N Y. The officers Frank J. 
Durnin, president; Gtorge M. Casey, 
vice preaidcnt; T. J. CufFry, treasurer; 
F. J Farrell, stci'etary and W P. 
McCaul, foreman. After equitably 
dividing the moni(?s among the mem- 
bers of the company, formally dis- 
banded. 

The general village charter law 
under which the village of Seueca Falls 
is now incorporated, delegates to 
boards and commissioners some of the 
duties devolving on the Board of Trus- 
tees under the old charter. So, now 
our fire department is nominally under 
the command of the Board of Fire 
Commissioners which, at present, is 
compost d of three able, skilled and 
enthusiastic fireojen, namely, M. E. 
Hanlin, John Lefler, and Everett Vos- 
burg. 

The active command, as heretofore, 
lies in a Chief and two assistants. 
The present Chief Horace N. Eumsey 
succeeded his father, Moses Rumsey, 
who had filled the office for sixteen 
years ; and has himself filled the position 
for eighteen years. The first assistant, 
M. E. Reagan probably has not a sup- 
erior as an active and vigilant fireman ; 
the 2nd assistant. Albert Sackett is 
fully equal to all demands made upon 
him in the subordinate position he 
occupies, and when the time comes for 
him to go up higher he will prove 
cqu'illy efficient in the higher place. 

The department apparatus and fire 
fighting appurtenance consist of two 
steam engines, one hose wagon, one 
hand hose cart, one service hook & 
ladder truck and equipment, one chem- 
ical engine with a full complement of 
exi>erienced engineers and hose men ; 
300 feet of good hose ; a fire alarm 
system of sixteen boxes, which was 
installed m 1902, a water system, 
whose average pressure is not above 
40 lbs per square inch, with eighty- 
eight hydrants properly distributed 
through the village. Each of our 
large manufactories is fitted with the 



58 



sprinkler system and auxiliHi-y tire 
pumps and hose so complete as to feel 
independent of village aid. but ia able 
to greatly assist in fighiinjr fires along 
the river's course. 

I am informed that our department 
has been supplied with attachmonts 
which tpakes the hose of Auburn. 
Sencea Falls. Waterloo nnd Geneva 
interchangeable, thus ei,«bli!3g the 
engines of the four departwents^to be 
concentrated in an emergency. 

All fires in their first stages are 
small fires; the design nnd purpose of 
the chemical is the prompt extin- 
guishment of incipient fires; then it 
follows, as day follows niyht, that 
celerity of movement on the part of 
this appartus is of the greatest im- 
portance. During eight-twelfths of the 
year our streets are in a condiiim to 
preclude the possibility of rapid nifive- 
ment through them by a hnnd drawn 



vehicle whii-h weighs about three 
thousfind pounds What, then, in 
your judgmt^nt, is the remedy for this 
willful abridgment of the usefulness of 
so excelhnt a piece of fire extinguish- 
ing apparatus? 

I give herewith a list of the chief en- 
gineers of the local fira department. 



Chief 

Naxe 

Geo. W. McClary 
Edward B Latham 
W . H Arnett 
Obadiah li. Latham 
Thoina8 Oarr 
H. W. Seym GUI' 
H. W. Seymour 
Lucius S. Gibba 
Lymun T. Moore 
Eostpii M. Babcock 
J. J.Tyler 
Simon W. Arnett 
Moses Rumeey 
Fforaoe N. Kumsey 
Wm. B. Harper 
Horace N. Kumsey 
J. F. Cro-by, acintg 
Frank Walters 
Horace N. Rutnsey 



F'.NGINEERS. 
Appointed Expir.4tion. 



July 1S37 
Mar '838 
Oct 1-47 
Aug 18M 
AUi( 1S52 
Dec 1855 
Dec 1855 
Aug ISfaS 
Aug 1856 
Aug 1857 
Sept 1S58 
Nov 185S 
Aug 1866 
!>ec 1882 
Dec 18.44 
Apr 18'Jfi 
Apr 18i)(j 
Feb 18as 
Feb 1900 



March l,'-38 
Oct 1847 
.4ug 1850 
Aug 1852 
Aug 18-55 
Anc IS.'-e 
Aug 18.56 
Dec 1855 
.Aug 18.57 
Aug 18,58 
Mov 1858 
Aug 1866 
Dec 1882 
Dec 1894 
Mar 1896 
Decline<1 
Feb 1898 
Dec 1899 



Seneca County in the War of 1812. 

By Rev. F». E. Smith. 



This article is mainly compiled from 
writings of my futher, Jasou Smith, 
and much of it iiad been already pub- 
lished in the History of S(*n«ca L'ounty. 

The militia of Nuw Y<i;k consisted 
of every able bodied male inhabitant 
between the ages of eigl)te;u and 
forty-five- excepting those religously 
opposed to war. 

The report of the Adjntfint-General 
for 1809 gave a total eurollnunt of in- 
fantry, cavalry and artillery of 102,068. 

In 1811, there were (iepusits of 
military stores, among other places at 
Onondhga, Canandaigiia and liatavia. 
The cannon at these mngasines ranged 
ia cali'n'e from thirty-two down to two 
ponnders. 

Heavy ordinance intended for the 
Niagara frontier was brought from Al- 
bany on Durham boats, by the Seneea 
Dock Navigfiiion Company, and landed 
at VVest C:!yuga; from there tiiey were 
transported on stout heavy sleds built 
for that purpose. 

Taught by the recent war with Eng- 
land, the militia system was regarded 
88 a timely precaution to guard against 
Indian depredation and foreign in- 
vasion. Territory was districted ac- 
cording to population 

Privates supplied their own arras, 
and ofiicers thi'ir own uniforms and 
side-arms. At a later date, inde- 
pendent companies were equipped at 
their own expense. 

Four trainings were held during the 
year. Two county traininiis, helil re- 
spectively cm the first Monday of June 
and b^'pteraber; the battalion and gen- 
eral, held by appointment.!" made by the 
field ( flBcers. Notices of musters were 
given, through lack of press and mail 
fncilit'es, by personal visits of non com- 
missioned officers to eai'h oiiliiiam.'in. 
If absent, a notice was placed on the 
door of the house. A failure to attend 
resulted in a court-martial or a fine. 

The first general training in Seneca 



County was held at Ovid in 1802. 
Soon after a regiment was organized 
for the north end of the county at old 
S.^auyes and out of a compliment Wil- 
helmus Myuderse was chosen by the 
troops for colonel, and duly commis- 
sioned by the Governor. Lambert Van 
Alstyn was Major and Hugh W. Dob- 
bin, adjatant. Mynderse cared little 
for martial exercises and left the work 
of drilling to Van Alstyn and Dobbin, 
men who had seen service and were 
de.-tuied to win honors in the threat- 
ened war. Colonel Van Alstyn kept 
a boarding house in the first tavern 
erected at Seneca Falls later known as 
the 0;d Market. His charges were 
considered excessive, being never less 
than twenty five cents per weok, and 
once reaching $2.63. General Dobbin 
lived about four and a half miles 
- west of Waterloo, and at home and in 
the field was a soldier by nature. 

About 1811, an artillery company 
was formed with headquarters at Sen- 
eca Falls. A single gun. an iron nine- 
pouuder was drawn from the state. 
Captain Jacks led his company against 
the British and Indians during the war. 
The last survivor of bis company was 
Hiram Woodworth of Tyre. He was 
wounded by the premature discharge 
of the gun he whs loading, losing one 
eye, having his arm injured. 

Anticipating a collision of arms, the 
(Governor early in the spring of 1812, 
called upon the militia regiments to 
furnish a company each, for service on 
the Niagara frontier. Promptly re- 
sponding Seneca sent out a company 
under the command of Captain Terry 
of Ovid, The names of the men who 
went from Tyre were Benjamin Marsh, 
Silas Barton, James VanHorn, Ilichard 
Thomas, Halsey Whitehead. 

The men were in barracks at Black 
Rock when news of the declar- 
ation of war by the United States ar- 
rived. Hostilities were immediately 



60 



opened by an exchange of shots with 
the British artillerymen across the 
river. 

The regular army was augmented by 
forces of mililia raised by drafts. The 
drafts were made for a period of three 
months. All the militia were called 
out in this way, and some were called 
upon a second and even a third tin^e. 
A few fled the draft. Subftituies were 
obtained at thirty dollars for the three 
months. A private soldier's pay wns 
five dollars per tuonih but was in- 
creased to eight dollars. The first en- 
gagement in which Seneca soldiers 
took part was the struggle at Queens- 
town. 

The Americans were led by General 
Van Rensselaer of Albany, the British 
by General Brock. The Americans 
crossed the river at daybreak October 
13, 1812 and were successful in the 
early part of the day, bnt the British 
being sti'ongly reinforced from the 
garrison at Fort George and the Amer- 
ican militia being aflTected by the num- 
ber of wounded brougiit over, and 
averse to leaving their own territory, 
the comparatively small force of Amer 
icans engaged, after a gallant fight, 
was compelled to surrender as prisoners 
of war. Of men in the battle from 
Seneca, was a rifle company raised in 
Fayette, commanded by Captain Ire- 
land and a few volunteers from the 
militia. All fought bravely, until the 
inevitable surrender took place. Fully 
one third of the men whom Ireland led 
into action, were killed or wounded. 

The year 1813 closed with disaster to 
the United States forces on the frontier. 
The British assumed the offensive and 
waged relentless and cruel warfare. 

On December 19th Colonel Murray 
with an armed force surprised and 
captured Fort Niagara commanded by 
Captain Leonard. Most of the garrison 
were bayonetted, and little quarter 
shown elsewhere. General McClure 
called on the militia of the westprn 
counties of New York, to turn out en 
masse to defend Butfalo and Black 
Rock. A panic spread through the 
country. The British were reported to 
be crossing the river Thousands of 
militia from Seneca and neighboring 



counties took arms and began their 
march to BufT-ilo. 

Quoting froui the remiuiscf n:iis of 
Jason Smith the following incidt-nts of 
that march may be interesting. He 
says, evtry man turned out who hftd 
any patriutiHiu. whether he was liable 
to do military duty or not. I was not 
old enough to be enrolled until a short 
time before the alarm but 1 took my 
shot gun with what powder I had, and 
moulds to east n buUet to fit the bore, 
and went with the rest. W<^ went that 
day as far as G;ceva. The citizHoe 
had poured in from every direction, a 
great many from Cayugii county. 
Every public house was filled to over- 
flowing. We got into a tavern at the 
south end of the viUage and occupied 
the bar-room. There were neither 
chairs nor benches in the room nor 
conveniences for sle<'ping, and if there 
had been, we could not have slept, as 
there was a set of rowdies who 
trained all night. Among whom were 
Leonard Wells*, James Magee, Benja- 
min Sayre, James Gerald from tliis 
place and Noah Morris, Garry Arnold 
and a number of others whose naraf'S 
are not recollected from Seneca Falls. 
They would perform what they called 
a war dance. They would form a 
ring in the middle of Ihe floor, take 
hold of hands and circle round and 
round. They would get an unsophis- 
ticated fellow in Uu' ring, then away 
back and forth, and prostrate him on 
the floor, raise a war-whoop and make 
a horrible din. All the way he could 
get out WHS to treat liberally. There 
was a tall writing-desk in one corner 
under which I crawled to avoid being 
run over, and tried to get a little sleep, 
but they hauled me out occasionally 
and hustled me jsround the room. 

The ofiicers who slept m the room 
above us would come down occasion- 
ally and try to q-ii^^t them and they 
would promise to be very quiet, but 
as soon as th* y had fairly gotten into 
bed, they would begin again as bad 
as ever. 

We reached Canandaigua the next 
day about 3 o'clock p m. where we 
were met by an express from Buffalo, 
who informed us that the British had 



61 



gone back into Canada, and that we 
iiiigbt return home. Meanwhile the 
British had plundered the garrisons, 
and burned Buffalo. 

On June 25, 1814, a command 
known as Colonel Dobbin's Regiment, 
Wfis orgHiiized at Batavia and pro- 
ceeded to the frontier. Among th-i 
officers were Colonel Ilutrh \V. Dob- 
bin, Majors Lee and Miidison, and 
Adjutant Lodowick Dobbins. Two 
companies went from Seneca; one 
from Ovid commanded by Captain 
Hathaway, the other from Junius, 
officered by Captain William Hooper 
and Lieutenant Thom-is VV Roosevelt, 
the latter of whom had seen two years 
service. This regiment enlisted for 
six months, and wJis call^-d the New 
York Voludtefrs. They marched from 
Batavia tu Black Rock where they were 
joined by a regiment of Pennsylvania 
Volunteers, and a body of Seneca 
warriors, and placed under comroand 
of General P. B. Porter. 

The battle of Chippewa was fought 
shortly after their arrival, and, all 
unused to the terrors of musketry fire, 
they did little service. 

Scott's brigade crossed Niagara river 
on July 3d and captured Fort Erie, 
they then advanced upon the British 
who were encamped behind the Chip- 
pewa, a deep still strenm which runs 
at right angles to the Niagara. Kip- 
ley's brigade made the passage of the 
Niagara about midnight of the 4th and 
Porter's on the morning of the 5th. 
The two companies lay about three 
fourths of a mile apart. 

At four o'clock p. m. General Porter 
circling to the left approached the Chip- 
pewas. Dobbin's regiment, was in line 
on the extreme left. The en'-niy rf-cog- 
nizing the force as militia, boldly left 
their trenches crossed the stream and 
expecting an easy victory, moved for- 
ward, and the lines of battle soon be- 
came warmly engasrerl. The clouds of 
dust and hcnvy tiring indicitt^d the 
state of aflairs and Scott's veterans 
were ordered straight forward. Un- 
used to battle Porter's command gave 
way, and notwithstanding strenuous 
efforts could not be brought forward 



again during the action. The enemy 
elated by success received the attack 
by Scott with coolness and the combat 
became furious. 

Major Jessup was sent with the 
twenty-fifth regulars to turn the 
enemy's right wing. He was presaed 
hard, both upon front and flank Ijut 
gave the order '-Support arms and ad- 
vance" his men obeying in the midst of 
a deadly lire and gnining a secure posi- 
ti(»n, opened a telling roiuru fire and 
compelled the British to fall back. 
Towsen of the artillery sih^nced the 
enemy's most eflective battery, blew 
up an ordinance wagon and opened 
with heavy discharges of canister 
upon the British infantry advancing to 
the charge. The enemy gave way and 
were driven over the Chippewa into 
their works with heavy loss The batUe 
of Bridi:e water or the Cataract soon 
followed. 

A number of days passed, and the 
British falling back maneuvered th^ir 
force to deceive in regard to their 
ultimate designs and meanwhile 
gathered vessels and l)eo;an to Innd 
troops at Lewiston, thereby threaten- 
ing the capture of the baggage and sup- 
plies of the Americans. 

To prevent this, Scott with a part of 
the army was sent to menace the forces 
at Queenstown. About sun down of 
July 25th Scott encountered and hotly 
engctgt'd the entire Biiti^h army. 
Then was illustratt-d the old adage 
that " he who fig[)ts and runs away, 
may live to fight another day." for 
Porter's volunteers advanced to Scott's 
support with ardor, took ground on the 
extreme left and in good order and 
with intrepidity held their position and 
repelled a determined charge by the 
enemy. Stimulated by the voices and 
examples of Colonel Dobbin, Major 
Wood of the Pennsylvania Volunteers 
and other officers, these raw but cour- 
ageous troops hurled themselves upon 
the British line, and made all the 
prisoners taken at this point of the 
action. Captain PJooker was killed 
during tlie engagement, which lasted 
far into the nijjht. 



Samuel Harris and his sen Mn Harris 



By ¥^r&di IT&ll&r- 



Prep?ired by Fred Teller aa<l read by 
Kev. H. Grant Person before the Sen- 
eca Falls Iliotorieal Society, December 
21sf, 1908. 

Saiuuei Harris, the father of John 
Harris, who ran the firtit ferry a;ros3 
Cayuga Itike, from 1788 until the «Jay- 
uga bridge was eomp'eted, was born at 
Harrisburg, Pa , May 4th, 1750. In 
the year 1795, wt'icki wns the year in 
which the East and West Cayugn Res- 
ervHtions were released to the state by 
the Oyuga Tribe of Indians and sur- 
veyed iuto lots, he, the father,Temovtd 
to the east bank of Cayug-a li;ke and 
patented lot No. 56 in the East Cayu;/a 
Re.-tervatiou tract. This iot contained 
250 acres and was imnK^diately north of 
his son John's. The eon at the sHOie 
time took out a pat nt for lot No. 57, 
which contained a somewhat larger 
number of acres Samuel Harris was 
an old Revolutionary soldier. His re- 
mains lie buried at the Bridgeport 
cemetery. On his monument is re- 
corded the following : '<He was an 
active pariicipaut in the stirring scenes 
of the o!d French wars. He waa 
present at the surprise and defeat of 
Braddock near Fort DuQucue. He 
was the decided friend of his country 
and her cause in the war of the Revo- 
lution, daring which he was appointed 
captain of cavalry." 

His father. John Harris, Sr., erai- 
gratnd front Lincolnshire, E"gland, in 
1733 and opened an Indian tra^iing post 
at the fords on the Susquehanna river, 
where Uie city of Harrisburg now 
stands The hiRtorie*^ and directories 
of the present city of Harrisburg, the 
capltol of Pennsylvania, all start from 
the time that the orifrin«l John Harris, 
1st, the father of Samuel Harris, looted 
on the site of that city. He afterward 
surveyed the city into lots and the city 
takes its name from the Harris family. 

There is an old oil painting in ex- 
istence, which Mrs. Philo Cowing of 



thi^ place recalls, that is in the posses- 
sion of oil'.! of her friends in Cayuga 
countj% (the Maclntos.'j family, who are 
related to the Harris family by mar- 
riage), representing this John Hards 
tied to a tree on the bank-j of the Sus- 
qu-hanna river with the fagots piled 
about i)im as he was about to be burned 
and tortured by the Iniians. He was 
rescu.Hl by a tribe of friendly Indians 
and lived for many years afterward a 
life of adventure j-^nd usefulness. 

Samuel Il-irris nami d his sou after 
his father John and it was this John 
Harris who came to the east shore of 
Cayuga lake in 1778 ai;d ran the ferry 
in partnership wtiti James Bennett. 

In the course of some corre.spondence 
between Mrs. L G. Sanford in behaif 
of the Daughter.s of ^Aie Revolution and 
the secretaiy of the state of Penn- 
sylvania, William H. Elge, it was 
diacovered that this John Harris was 
also a Revolutionary soldier. He was 
commissioned captain, October 14th, 
1776, of the 12in Pennsylvania regi- 
ment commanded by Colonel William 
Cook. That this regiment was in ac- 
tive service and so severe was its losses 
on the battlcflelda of New Jersey that 
in April, 1778, it was incorporated 
into the third regiment of the Penn- 
sylvania line and thei-eby lost its iden- 
tity, while niaiiy of. its officers, includ- 
ing Captain John HarrsH, becan.ie su- 
pernumerary. Seneca County should 
be proud that two such loyal Ameri- 
cans should have become her citizens. 

In 1789 John Harris married Mary 
Riehard'ion, who was a native of Fred- 
erick City, Md. The following year, 
1790, his first son vvas born and he was 
the first white child born on either 
shore of Cayuga lake. He v/as given 
the family name, John. 

The sixth child of Captain John 
Harris (the ferryman) was a daughter 
and was named Helen. She married 
Abram Failing, who kept one of the 



63 



leading taverns of Bridi,rFport. Whou 
Seneca Falls bcr-gnn to foi^o to the lie-nl 
in P')pul'itloii and import;inco tii yold 
out bis business nt Bridgeport. nuJ rb- 
moved to Seueca Falls, where ho b;)- 
camo one of th« loading merchants of 
our village. To bis daught'n', Misa 
Elln, now Mrs. C. L. Storj', I am in 
dobted for the use of a very va uable 
lot of fa-nily docutuente, da".'i and p'ib- 
licntions relating to ibis romaika')le 
family. Among other tbingw, sbe pos- 
seeses an old print reproac^nting the 
same scene referred to by Mrs. Cow- 
ing, illustrating the torinrc and burn- 
ing of her ancesior, the first John Har- 
ris, by th« Indians. 

In 1790, John Harris opened the first 
tavern at the Cayuga Feny. This land 
at that time vpas still ow'".«'d by the 
Cayuga Indians. It was leased from 
tbem by John Harris and was held on 
euS"eraace. The Indians were uot al- 
lovred to sell thuir lauds without the 
sanction of the geuf-ral govirniuent 
and the state. The parti<'S who held 
lenses from the Indians however, were 
afterward, when it was acquired by the 
state and surveyed into lots, given the 
first privilege of patenting the plots on 
which they were located. 

The John Harris tavern was a place 
of general rendezvous and you will 
notice on all the old maps of the East 
Cayuga Reservation that all trails from 
cvei"y point of the compass centered at 
that point. Its old tap room must have 
been a very attractive place to the Red 
man. The amount of valuable fur and 
beaver skins that must have been 
traded over its bar for suppli'^^'S and 
ammunition, trinkets and the seductive 
fire water came to a tidy sum yearly. 
Its owner soon became a raan of wealth 
and influence in the eoromunitv. 

In the year 1794 the lands comprised 
in the present cou!ities of Seneca, 
Wayne, Cayuga and Onondaga were 
erected into a new county known as 
Onondaga county and John Hurris was 
appointed its first sberifT. At the end 
of his term he was elected for a second 
term 

In the following year tho council 
fire for a treaty wiih the Onondaga 
and the Cayuga Indians was lighted in 



front of the 'John Harris tavern at 
the C;iyu/i;a Ferry " The commis- 
sioiii IS on thv) part of the stat« were 
Philip Schnyier. John Cantine, Divid 
Brooks and John Richardson. By this 
trentv the state secured from the Ouon- 
dagH Indi-ius the Onondaga Salt Springs 
and from the C.iyug'is almost all of 
tiiidr la'ids. Joh'i Harris' numo an- 
pears on this treaty as oa« of the wit- 
nesses. The treaty b«ars date of July 
27th, 1795. In the construction and 
equipment of the Cayuga Bridge Jt'ha 
H iTis took a prominent part and was 
the second u'uned one of its iucor- 
P'jrators, three oi tho other four being 
representatives of large latjd com- 
panies. 

In 1801 he was prominent in the 
formation of the Cayuga Land Com- 
pany, which owned all th < land with- 
in two miles distant from the east end 
of Cayu^ra Bridge, The Cayuga county 
clerk's oflBl^e shows a large number of 
transfers of lots from Nov. 7th, 1801, 
by this company and for several suc- 
ceeding years. 

In 1801 he established at West Cay- 
uga (Bridgeport) a general store, ash- 
«ry and a distillery. In 1806 he was 
elected to Congress, succeeding as 
representative of this district Hon. 
Silas Halsey of this county. In 1806 
ne was appointed a colonel of the 
militia. During the war of 1812 he 
served with his regiment at the front 
and as a large share of his command 
waived their right not to be taken out 
of the state, took i)art in several en- 
gagements on Canadian soil. 

After the war he settled at West 
C-tyuga, having acquired on May 20th, 
1814, title to thirty and one-half acres 
of laud being a part of groat lot No. 5, 
He died in November, 1824. After 
the war and previous to his death he 
held a muster of militia at Bridgeport 
for a number of years. Mrs. R. C. 
Wayne possesses one of the gilt metal 
shou'der epaulets, formerly the prop- 
erty of the' late John H. Tooker, which 
he wore at the training day exercises 
that took place on tiiese occasions on 
he village green at Bridgeport. We 
of tlie present day have no idea of the 
importance that our forefathers at- 



64 



tached to one of these muster day 
gBtherings. It was oue of the gala 
days of the year and if requires no very 
great iraa;j;iHai.iou to pieture the large 
concourse of people that would con- 
gveg&te around the taverns and the 
green at Bridgeport, io watch the 
various squads of mili'ia execute thiiir 
manoeuvres, amid the applause of the 
speci«tors and the rattle of actouter- 
ments. Old Mr. Tooker, then a feeble, 



white-haired man, once remarked to 
me that he hud never eaten any thiua; 
that tasU'd quite as good as the old 
fashioned ridged, trainin.o; day gini^er- 
bread that was made for those occas- 
sions. 

A branch of the Harris family emi- 
gratod to the state of Texas and be- 
came prominent in its afiairs. Harris 
county in that state takes its name from 
this branch of the Hams family. 



The First Congregational Church. 



By Eci\njiTi yV\e>cicle.n. 



A majority of this church seceded 
from the VV^eslftyttii cUuroli in the yenr 
1869. The Wesleyan church general 
conference inneried in their discipline, 
makinj? it obligatory in this deuominH- 
tion that no poi'soii should be a mem- 
ber of this church who was in any way 
connected with any secret society, es- 
pecially Free Masons or Odd Fellows. 
This brought forth a division of senti- 
ment in the denomination, as n)any 
members look ttie ground that We-i- 
leyau Methodism had fulfilled its mis- 
sion in the abolition of slavery. All 
will acknowledge that the Wesleyan 
Methodist church accomplishi-d great 
good in that cause and that it was en- 
titled to great credit for its noble 
work. On the other hand, many 
claimed that the conference had over- 
stepped its authority in dictating to the 
chui'ches in regard to whom it should 
receive as members. They claimed 
that this decision should be left to the 
local ch'Jrch, hence the division of the 
church at Seneca Falls 

The people who seceded formed 
what is known as the '<First Congre- 
gational Society of Seneca Falls." 
Iheir first meeting was in Good Temp- 
lars' hali or what is now known as 
Pythian hall. Their first meeting to 
form the church was called December 
6, 1869. Steps were taken to incor- 
porate it as a religious society, Decem- 
ber 17, 1869. 

Rev. W. W. Lyle was chosen as pas- 
tor, officers were elected and plans put 
in operation to form and build up a 
strong society in this community. A 
Sabbath school with full corps of 
teachers with average attendance of 
two hundred was organized. Edwin 
Medden was superinietident, Rev. W. 
W. Lyle was assistant. 

In the meantime arrangements were 
being made to secure a house of wor- 
ship. A subscrintion was started for 
that purpose. The efibrt was not so 



successful as was expected because 
other denominations started to do the 
same. This, of course, lessened all 
amounts. If the other churches had 
delayed, it would, no doubt, have been 
a benefit to all, especially to the Con- 
gregational church. 

It was thought best to build as many 
of our best citizens encouraged us in 
our endeavor. A lot was purchased 
from Mr. Davis for $3,500. He do- 
nated $500, thus making the cost 
$3,000. A honse stood upon this lot; 
this was sold and removed for $200. 
Work was begun at on<'e upon this 
property. August 19, 1870, the cere- 
monies of laying the corner stone took 
place. First, a council of Congrega- 
tional ministers was held at the hall 
where the church was recognized by 
the council as a Congregational church 
in full standing. Following this, the 
ceremony of laying the corner stone 
took place. Rev. T. Iv. Beecher, of 
E'mira, delivered the address, subject, 
"Why am I a Congregatioaalist?" 

The cornerstone is in the northeast 
corner of the tower. The following 
articles were deposited in the stone: 
1st, a copy of the Bible, 2nd, Manual 
and Historical record of the Congrega- 
tional church, 3rd, Memorial Jubilee 
medal of the Landing of the Pilgrims 
250 years previous, ith, United States 
silver half-dol'ar, 5th, fractional cur- 
rency, 6th, catalogues of village manu- 
facturing firms, 7th, village news- 
papers, 8th, village charter, 9th, list 
of village churches and names of pas- 
tors, lOth, \Ut of teachers in public 
schools, members of board of educa- 
tion, 11th. copies of ''New York In- 
dependent," '^Chicago Advance" and 
''Glasgow Christian News." 12tb, 
minutes of New York State Associa- 
tion of Congregational churches. 

The church was finished and dedi- 
cated for public worship, Thursday, 
Sept. 21, 1871. The sermon was 



66 



preached by Rev. Edward Taylor, D. 
D., of Binghamton, N. Y. The con- 
tributioa taken up that evening 
amounted to $2,228. The membership 
at this time was one hundred and two. 

After the church was finished and 
dedicated it became necessary to raise 
lean on the bond and mortgage upon 
church property. This business was 
placed in the hands of the following 
committee : Rev. W W. Lyle, Wm. L. 
Bellows and Dr. R. Dunhsm. The 
loan of $14,000 was obtained from the 
Berkshire Life Insurance Comp^iny, of 
Mass., on condition, first, that the 
members of the society should secure 
several individual life insurance poli- 
cies; second, that an endowmetii policy 
of $5,000 should be secun d upon *ome 
individual for the church. This nm.Hint 
was to be used to help eanci'l tlie debt. 
The bondsmen were Charles Seekell, 
Horace Seekeli, William Bellows, Wil- 
liam King and Edwin Medden. 

The burden was heavy, for the an- 
nual interest on policy amounted to 
$i60; the annual interest at 7 per 
cent on loan was $980. nip.kiug a total 
of $1,440, aside from running ex- 
penses of the church. Speakers were 
secured at different times to attempt to 
raise the debt by subscription. The 
two principal speakers were Rev. Mr. 
Ives of Auburn and Rev. Mr. Hop- 
worth of New York. They succeeded 
in raising the amount needed, but, un- 
fortunately, a large number neglected 
to pay. For three years the bondsmen 
paid the interest on loan $980 to re- 
lieve the society and enable them to 
recover and pay, if possible, the 
amount of the loan. It seemed as if 
the society was doomed, but the mem- 
bers were united and determined to do 
all that was possible to save the church. 
The bondsmen, in the meantime, 
notified the holders of the mortgage to 
foreclose and make an agreement with 
the Berkshire Life Insurance Com- 
pany, allowing the bondsmen to bid it 
in for the society at $10,000. taking a 
mortgage without bond for that 



amount. The bondsmen agreed to 
paY the balance on first mortgage of 
nearly $7,000. 

Accordingly, the church was sold by 
sheriff's sale at the Hong House. It 
was bid in by the bondsmen for the 
above sum and made over to the so- 
ciety. 

After another struggle the churclies 
of the Congregational body of New 
York state «nd several of our most 
prominent citizens came to the rescue. 
Among these kind friends were H.C. 
Silsby. Albert Jewett. J. B Johnson, 
H. W. Knight and odiers. At last 
the society succeeded in freeing the 
church from debt. It is so to day. 
Shn-tly after Mr. J. B. Johnson in his 
will donated $2,000 for the support of 
the church. This is now invested in a 
parsonage. The church was freed 
from indebtedness July 3, 1881. The 
following gentlemen served as pastors 
for supplies to the pulpit: Revs. W 
W. Lyle, Mr. Fessenden, Dr. Hol- 
brook, Mr. Smith, Mr. Kinmouth, 
Mr. Bell, Dr. Bradford, Dr. Peter 
Lindsey, Mr. Kawson, Henry Margetts, 
and Rev. Dr. A. W. Taylor, present 
pastor, who has served us eleven years. 

In all the years of our financial dif- 
ficulties and trial the members of the 
church were as a unit, working to- 
gether in all that pertained to the wel- 
fare of the church and the cause of 
Christ. The Congregational church 
of Seneea Falls has won a name for 
faithfulness and devotion to the cause. 
God had been our guide in all our 
troubles, has been blessed spiritually. 
In our darkest days many were con- 
verted and brought into the kingdom 
of Christ. Much good, wo trust has 
been done in God's service through the 
Congregational church. Though many 
made sacrifice to the extent of loss of 
property, yet God blessed them because 
of their loyalty to his cause. Most of 
the heavy burdens bearers have passed 
away to their reward, but the church 
to-day honors their memory and de- 
votion to the cause of Christ, 



The Streets of Seneca Falls. 



BY MISS JANET COWING. 



This subject was orginally assigned 
to tlie late Miss Jenuie Wilcoxeu, and 
her notes have been freely used in this 
paper. 

We first begin with tbe map of 
Wilhelmus Myiuierse, dated Sepiember 
15th, 1826, which was a description of 
the State 100 acres, situated in the 
south east corner of the J>)t 100 in the 
Township of Junius, county of Seuccu, 
set off as his share in the partition of 
the estate of the proprietors of Stneca. 
The original streets were the Seneca 
Turnpike road or Fall street, Cayuga 
street avenue and State street; Canal 
street was laid out but not named. 

A map of the village made by John 
Burton, surveyor, in 1835, shows all 
the steets of the town at that time. 

Running parallel with Seneca river 
and directly north of it was Fall street, 
so naojed from the fall in the river and 
grade of the street. Extending from 
Fall street north, was Cayuga street, 
(named from our beautiful lake). State 
street comes next, thence Mynderse 
street, named for Wilbelmns Mynderse 
one of the original proprietors of the 
town of Seneca, and which was the 
western boundary of his land, Clinton 
street named after Dewitt C. Clinton, 
governor of the State of New York, 
and next is Walnut street. 

East from Cayuga street, there was 
Boyd, known afterwards as **Pig 
Lane," a short street running from 
Cayuga to Fall, named after James 
Boyd. An old deed speaks of bim as a 
'•Merchant of New York." 

Dey street, the great coasting region 
running down hill all the way to Sen- 
eca Turnpike or Fall street and named 
after Charles and Anthony Dey, prom 
inent business men of the place. 

Prospect street, named after Pros- 
pect hill, now traversed by the New 
York Central railroad. From this 
point, a view of Seneca Falls was 
taken in 1817. 



Johnston street named after John 
Johnston, the father-in-law of the late 
Mr. Frederick B. Swaby, who gave 
this street to the village. Maple street 
runs north from Johnston, through the 
Swaby addition. 

In that portion of the village known 
as the ''Flati," are Wall street at the 
foot of which lived Thomas I. Paine, 
who operated a chandelry, and was 
known for his great size. 

Lawrence street was evidently 
named after Lawrence VauCleef. 

On the map of 1825 the park, the 
Wilhelmus Mynderse, was laid out, 
but not named, so between Cayuga and 
State streets are North and South Park 
streets, west from State street is Jefl- 
erson street a short street extending 
only to Maynderse. 

Then comes Chapel, extending to the 
western limits of village, and John 
street a short street north of Chapel. 

Between State and Mynderse is Troy 
street. 

On Frenche's map of 1856 in the Ist 
ward, north of Troy street, a portion of 
land own<'d by Daniels, Mynderse and 
VanCleef was laid out in village lots 
and Daniel's street running from Troy 
to Clinton, and VanCleef street, also 
running from Troy to Clinton, were 
named after George B. Daniels and Al- 
exander VanCleef. 

West of Mynderse was Oak street, 
extending to the western limit of the 
village, running parallel with New 
York Central railroad from Mynderse. 
Goulds No 2 shop faces Oak and 
Heath streets. W^est of Clinton was 
Miller, named after Deacon Peter Miller 
who kept a tavern and was a deacon in 
the Presbyterian church. 

A map of village lots made by Gil- 
bert Wilcoxcn in 1858 shows the ex- 
tontion of the village north of Fall 
and west of Walnut north of the rail- 
road ; and west of Walnut were 40 acres 
of land owned by J. Thompson, ex- 



68 



tending 40 rods wide to the north. 
Parallel with and west of Thompson's 
property was Ramsey street extending 
north from Thompson's land and cut- 
ting Ramsey were Chestnut, Chapel, 
Pleasant and Ridge. These streets are 
47 to 50 feet wide. 

A map showing extension of these 
streets east through Thompson's prop- 
erty was made in May 1876, with addi- 
tion of North street at nortnern end of 
Thompson's land. South of railroad ; 
Miller street was extended further 
west. 

Dr. H. H. Heath's addition, orginally 
puuchased from Wakeman Burr, ran 
from the river to the northei-n limit of 
the village. Dr. Heath was our oldest 
homeopathic physician. 

The Rumsey addition, known as 
Rumseyville was purchased of Dr. 
Heath in 1858 hj John A. Rumsey and 
laid out in lots and ran from Oak 
street to near the northern limit of the 
village. The street which bears his 
name runs to Fall and is continued to 
the river through the Fred Maier ad- 
dition. 

In the Heath addition was Rumsey 
street 49 1 2 feet wide. Lincoln 49 1-2 
feet wide, named for our martyred 
president. B'all street is 66 feet wide 
at this point. Then Heath street run- 
ning from Fail to Oak and is the near- 
est way to Gould's No. 2 shop. 

A map of lots in second ward, made 
for the Seneca Falls co-operative build- 
ing lot association, by Gilbert Wilcoxen 
surveyor, gave the addition of three 
streets running west from State street 
100 feet. Porter was named after J. 
Porter. 

Boston avenue and Butler were 
named after Sol. Butler, a noted colored 
individual of this village, who lived 
there. Further north another J. A, 
Rumsey addition gave us Buffalo and 
Tyre avenues, west of State. 

On the south side of the river and 
parallel with it were Canal street and 
Bayard street. The latter was named 
for Stephen N Bayard, one of the or- 
iginal land owners. Extending south 
from Bayard was Ovid street so named 
from the village of Ovid, which is six- 
teen miles directly south. This street 



divides the Third and Fourth wards. 

Senter named after Senler Rl. Gid 
digns, (and should be spelled with an 
S.) The street runs south and east and 
strikes Ovid; thence Bridge, Swaby. 
named fjfter Frederick B. Swaby, the 
pioneer of that family. Toledo, then 
Sackett, nan^ed from Gary V. SacKett, 
these last three mentoned are short 
streets running through to Haigh. 

Williams a short street running 
from Bridge to Swaby. Haigh street 
was named after Mr. Gary V. 
Sackett 's wife. She was Ann Haigh. 
was also a relative of the Swaby's. It 
runs west from Bridge to western 
limit of village. Barker, short street 
running east from Bridge to Ovid. 

Next the J. T. Miller addition in 
which they have opened Maynard and 
Mechanic streets, which run through to 
Ovid. Next the 3rd Ward building 
lot association No. 2 surveyed by 
Martin O'Neil for Thomas McGovern, 
Sr., in which has been opened Sham- 
rock avenue. In front of 3rd ward 
school house is Seneca Lane running 
from Haigh to Mechanic. Returning 
to East Bayard street, we find Spring 
running south to Chapin ; White run- 
ning south to Garden, Goodwin a 
short street running south to Elm, and 
named after Mr. H. Goodwin, who 
built and lived in the house known as 
the Tyler homestead. 

Stevenson runs south from Bayard to 
corporation limit, was named for John 
Stevenson, Sr., who lived at the junc- 
tion of Garden and Stevenson. It is 
now traversed by the electric road. 

Then Gres n running from Ovid east 
Stevenson street through Tyler addi- 
tion. Garden from Ovid east to Steven- 
son, Montgomery, a short street (con- 
necting Grreen with Garden) runs 
through the J. P. Cowing addition, 
named for Wm. Montgomery, the first 
resilient on the street. Next East ave. 
Canoga, Sherman and Fayette streets 
laid out on the Tyler additions, but 
not yet opened Mumford street run. 
ning north from Bayard to Latham, 
named after Mr. S. T. Mumford who 
owned and built the house now occu- 
pied by Mrs. Owen W. Smyth. 
Washington street (originally Mynderse 



99 



street) afterwards changed to Wash- 
ingtou in honor of the (Father of his 
Country) ; runs from Bayard to Seneca 
Turnpike. Jay is a short street run- 
ning north from Bayi i-d street to Seneca 
street. Latham street is a part of the 
Ln'ham addition, owned b} Obadiah S. 
Latham, running from Wtishiugton to 
Mnmford street. Another short street 
oft from Washington is Troup street 
named from Robert Troup, District 
Judge of the United Slates tor the 
District of New York in 1798, once 
owner of a fifth part of the town of 
Seneca. This street runs over the 
brow of the hill and is suppoaed to 
connect with a bridge at that point. 
Adams street runs east from Washing- 
ton to Jay street, through the J. P. 
Cowing addition. 

The land of the 4th ward building 
association, formerly the Scldcn Chap 
in farm, in the southeastern part of 
the town, was surveyed by G. Wil- 
coxen and Smith in 1872. East from 
Ovid and pta-pendicular to it, running 
east, are Chapin street, 49 1-2 feet 
wide (named for Selden Chapin) 
Boardman street, 66 feet wide, named 
for Deming Boardman, br., and South 
street, 60 feet wide. 

Between Chspin and South streets, 
running north and south and east of 
Ovid street are Hnag street, 66 feet 
wide, named for Milton Hoag, Smith 
street, 60 feet wide, and Haw ley street, 
60 feet wide, named for Charles A. 
Hawley, Cuddeback street, 60 feet 
wide, named for John Cuddeback, 
Davis street, 60 feet wide, named for 
Adelbert S. Davis. Between Board 
man and South streets, running north 
and south, is Spring street, 60 feet 
wide. This makes an addition of nine 
streets. 

On West Bayard street and west of 
the stone house occupied by the late 
Wm. Van Rensselaer, the land famil- 
iarly known as ''Sackett's sixty acre 
lot," was laid out in villflge lots and 
streets, the names of which are as fol- 
lows : Van liensselner, Courlland, Hos- 
ier, Providence, Chicago, Baltimore, 
California. These streets run south to 
the Driving Park. 

Cayuga and State streets are the 



widest in town Bayard comes nextl 
At a sheriff's sale issued out of the 
Court of Common Pleas for the County 
of Seneca, in March, 1847, against the 
real estate, etc., of Anthony Dt-y, in a 
description of certain pieces and part 
eels of land, there was one as follows: 
"A vacant lot on Cayuga street, north 
of Bunt street," I find that Bunt street 
lends off from Boyd street, back of the 
Ramsey and Silsby dwellings to the 
old cemetery. The Jot mentioned as 
being north of Bunt street is now oc- 
cupied by Charles Frank Hammond. 
sheriff's sale. 
By virtue of an Execution issued out 
of the Court of Conimon Pleas in and 
for the Ccuniy of Seneca, to me di- 
rected and delivered, against the goods 
and chattels, lands and tenements, real 
estate and chattels of Anthony Dey, in 
my Bailiwick I have seized and taken 
all the right, title, interest and estate 
which the said Anthony Dey had on 
the 26th day of May, A. D., 1846, or 
which he may have since acquired, of, 
in and to all the lands and premises 
hereinafter mentioned and described, 
to wit: All those certain pieces or par- 
cels of land situate, lying and being 
in the vilinge of Seneca Falls, on lot 
100 of Junius, now Seneca Falls, 
known and distinguished as lots Nos. 
three, four, five, six, seven, eight, 
nine, ten, eleven and twelve on Fall 
street, also Nos. one, three, five, 
seven, nine, eleven and thirteen on 
Dey street, also Nos. twenty-seven, 
twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty six, 
thirty- eight and forty on Cayuga street, 
also, a vacant lot on Cayuga street, 
north of Bunt street, also the Woolen 
Factory lot, having fifty feet front 
on Fall street with Water power equal 
to one and a half Runs of Stone on 
what is called Dey's race; also lot No. 
thirteen on Fall street, being one hun- 
dred feet front, containing nearly three 
fourth's of an acre of land, on which 
is situated a commodious dwelling 
house, as the snid lots are laid down on 
a map of snid village, made by John 
Burton, E'q., for V. B. Ryerson, and 
so described on a map thereof, now on 
file in the office of the Clerk of said 
county, all of which aforesaid property 



70 



I shall expose for sale at public auction 
af the Clinton House now kept by 
David Milk, in the village of Seneea 
Falls, on Friday, the thirteenth day of 
April neit, at ten of the clock in the 
forenoon of that day, — Dated at 
Waterloo, the 23d day of March, A. D. 
1847. 

HUGH CHAPMAN, Sheriff. 
By Joseph C. Payne, Under Sheriff. 

At Restvale cemetery, "at that vil- 
lage white and still," are four streets, 
named by the late Mrs. Laura Russell, 
viz: Sunnyside Ave., Laurel Ave., 
Woodlawn Ave. and Magnolia Ave. 

Maplewood addition, south side of 
river, west part of village, west of 
Catholic church, surveyed by G. Wil- 
coxen, 1900, and laid out in streets, 
running parallel north and south from 
Bayard to Haigh, 50 feet wide. 

Most of the additions surrounding 
the town were surveyed and laid out 
at diflerent times by G. VVilcoxen, sur- 
veyor, and all the various maps of the 
town are supposed to be filed at the 
County Clerk's oflSce. 

There are now a little over thirty, 
one miles of streets in Seneca Falls, 
and if one should traverse them in a 
day, they would have all the fresh air 
and exercise the most strenuous advo- 
cates of these helps would advise. 

In naming the streets our citizens 
showed honor both to the great men 
of the nation and the enterprising citi- 
zens of the town, also large cities. I 
will recapitulate a few : Washington, 
Adams, Jefferson. Lincoln, Jay, Clin- 
ton, Mynderse, Bayard, Troup, Boyd, 
VanCleef, Daniels, Sackett, Swaby, 
Heath, Cuddeback, Hoag, Hawley, 
Davis, Rumsey and many others. 

Only three of the men after whom 
these streets were named are alive to- 
day. It has been said that the streets 
of Seneca Falls were originally laid 
out on the Indian trails, and from their 
irregularity this may be readily be- 
lieved. So diversified is the surface 
that one would think them almost pat- 
terned after Rome and laid out on 
seven hills. There was a hill on Cay- 
uga street, from the corner of Boyd 
street. Pig Lane or Trinity Lane as it 
is now called, to Hoskins corner, 



where boys and girls coasted. The 
hill on Cayuga street near where the 
railroad is now (not under the arch) 
was many feet steeper and afforded 
great fun for the school children. 
There was a steep hill on Fall street, 
near the old Beehive, corner of Wal- 
nut stree;. Some old houses standing 
there now show bow it has been filled 
in. 

The hill on Ovid street, beginning 
at Bayard, was very steep, indeed, and 
has been filled in with tons and tons of 
earth. 

Both bridges were many feet lower 
and the lower story of Goulds shop, 
when it was Andrew P. Tillman's resi- 
dence, was on a level with the bridge. 
All over this town streets have been 
filled in that way, showing enterprise 
on the part of the people. 

Hardly any of our streets are 
straight, they run along for a while, 
then vere to the right or left, according 
to their own sweet will. But if our 
streets are a little eccentric, no one 
will question that our goods manu- 
factured in our numerous factories and 
sent to all quarters of the globe are 
straight goods. 

Speakmg of regular and irregular 
streets reminds one of an anecdote. 
A Philadelphian stopping in Boston 
had a great deal to say about the queer 
streets of the hub of the Universe. 
''Your streets are so crooked," said he, 
"that it is hard getting about. If 
Boston had only been laid out like 
Philadelphia, it would be a much finer 
city." ''Well," replied the Boston 
man. "if Boston ever gets to be as 
dead as Philadelphia, we will try and 
lay her out in the manner vou suggest." 

So we say to all who criticise the 
irregularity of our streets. Seneca 
Falls is a live town, streets and all. 

The map shows that there were 
plaster mills, saw mills, stone mill, 
sash factory, barrell factory, clock fac- 
tory, paper mill, cotton factory and 
bleachery. Globe mill, tannery, now 
part of Goulds building No. 1, Oil 
mills, chair factory, etc., in 1835- 

The map 1825 shows saw mills, 
grist mill, carding and fulling mill. 

The following advertisement from 



71 

an old paper is of considerable interest 
in connection with this snbject as 
sliowing that what is now called Water 
street was originally considered a part 
of Fall street. 

George Shoemaker, 

Dealer in Siaple nnd Fancy 
DRY GOODS. GllOCERIES, CROCK- 
ERY AND HARDWARE. 

At the struiii of Shoemaker & Co., 
on Fall street, fronting the north end 
of the new bridge in the west end of 
the village, will always have on hand 
every article in the Dry Goods line; 
Groci'iioa of every description; Crock- 
ery, a fnll assortment; Shelf Hard- 
ware, Nails, Rope, Stone and Earth'U 
Ware, &o. &c. As I have determined 
to conform the prices of Goods to the 
hardness of the times, Small Profits 
for Good Pay is the motto; and quali- 
ties considered; I am not to be under- 
sold by any one. Please call and 
examine. Butter, Lard, Pork, Eggs, 
and all kind of produce taken in ex- 
change for goods. 

JOHN SFIOEMAKER & Co , at the 
white Brick Mill, nearly opposite, are 
at all times pnying the highest prices 
in cash for Wheat. Corn. Barley, Rye, 
Clover and Timothy seed, &c. 

Seneca Falls, May 13. 1843. 



The First Baptist Church. 



BY REV. S. M. NEWLAND. 



In presenting this paper I desire to 
make Hcknowledgement that I am quite 
largely indebted to the Rev. Wm. R. 
Wrif ht, who was pastor of the Baptist 
church of this place a little over five 
years. This pastorate commeuced 
September 1873. During his pastorate 
he prepared a historical sermon and de- 
livered it on the fiftieth anniversary of 
the constitution of th" church. A copy 
of this sera.on was loaned me a few 
years since by Mrs. Phebe Dye, when 
I hrst prepared for my own people very 
largely what I shnll say to-niyht, and 
from tiiis sermon I gather most of the 
items of the first fifty years' history of 
the Baptist church of Sinieca Falls, the 
old records having been m'stly destroy- 
ed in the fire of 1898, while in keep- 
ing of the church clerk, Dr. Lowe. But 
no one acquainted with the Rev. Wm. 
R. Wright will doubi but that his state- 
ments are correct as far fis the records 
gave him knowledge of the early his- 
tory of the church. From this sermoa 
and a few meager records found and 
remembrance among the older members 
of the church, we learn that while there 
had been occasional Baptist preaching 
in the village of Seneca Falls previous 
to the year 1828, it was not until m the 
early spring of that year that a Bap^st 
charch in Seneca Falls took on form 
and life. During the winter and early 
spring of 1827-28, several Baptist fam- 
ilies moved into the village and as they 
became acquainted with the Baptists al- 
ready here, nothing more natural than 
that a meetmg be called to see what 
could be done in regard to a church or- 
ganization. This meeting was called. 
It was held in the old school house then 
standing on North Park street. It was 
on Thursday afternoon, June 5, 1828. 
At this meeting there were present. 
Abner Carry, Harris Usher,L P. Noble 
Polly Wheeler, Charlotte Long, Mary 
Ann Cross, Phebe Cross, Elizabeth 
Carry, Huldah Silsbee, and Harriet 



Noble, ten in all. This gathering was 
C!illed to order by Abner Carry. He 
was chosen uiodeiatur, and L. P. Noble 
was chosen clerk. At this meetiog it 
was unanimously decided that it was 
desirable and expedient to form a 
Baptist organization in tho village of 
Seueca Falls, with the view of becom- 
ing a church and erecting a church 
building in the near future. Such was 
the nucleu'3, the beginning of the Bap- 
tist church of Seneca Falls. On the 
23lh of this same month, the month of 
June, one by name. Oramus Allen, came 
to tlie village, and proved himself a 
most worthy and valuable addition to 
the new organizativm. He was a li- 
censed preacher. He had pursued a 
course of Theoh-gical studies in the 
Hamilton seminary. He became at once 
active and earnest, in pushing forward 
theuew interest, and on the 16th of July, 
proper notice having been given an- 
other meeting was held in the same 
place, for the purpose of completing 
the organization as a Baptist church, or 
as then named, the First Baptist society 
in the village of Seneca Falls. It is 
evident from this meeting that there 
were a great many in the community, 
at least friendly and well disposed to- 
ward the movement, for we find that 
at this meeting they elected nine trus- 
tees The names of these first 
chosen trustees of the church were 
Ebenezrfr Ingalls, Harris Usher, John 
W. Wheaton. Jonathan Metcalf, Na- 
than Farnsworth, Samuel Bradley, L. 
P. Noble, Abraham Payne and Thomas 
Royston. John Metcalf was chosen 
president of the board, L. P. Noble, 
clerk, and Harris Usher treasurer. At 
this meeting a committee was appointed 
to search out and get terms for a lot 
suitable for a church building. On 
July 26th, Fannie Spear united with 
the association, and August 30th Theo- 
polis Cross and Jemima Cross, his wife 
cast in their lot with the infant church. 



73 



Their number had now raached four- 
teen. At this nueli-.ijr l)e[d ou the 30lh 
of August, 1828. tliirtfeti ariiole^ if 
faith, and a Church Coveuaut were 
adopti'd ; this act to all iiit> nts and pur 
posi'3 constituted the orgniiiz;ition of a 
regular Baptist church. Bui in ord«r 
to roceivo th« recognition and follow- 
ship of other Baptist churches, a coun- 
cil represeuted by several Baptist 
churclies was called on the 15th of 
Septeniher, 1828. This council whs 
for the double purpose of recognizing 
the church and the advisal'.ility of st-t- 
ting apart to the Gospid ministry, Mr. 
Allen. Nine churches were repre- 
sented in this council by nineteen dele- 
gates. Th's meeting was held in the 
Presbyteri.in cimrch, the church having 
been kindly offered for ti)e purpose. 
It is recorded that both the recognition 
of the church, and tlio ordination of 
Mr. Alien were highly satisfactory to 
the council. At the next c<^'nvonant 
meeting of the church held October 
2otb, Mr. Allen was formally and un- 
animously chosen as the first pj:8tor, 
while L. P. Noble was chosen cliurch 
cleik and Abner Carry, deacon At 
this meeting Nelson Payne was received 
as the first candidate for bap'isiu and 
baptized on the following day, Sunday. 
The pastorate of the Rev, Mr. Allen 
lasted a little over three years. Dur- 
ing this pastorate forty-five were added 
to the church by baptism and thirty by 
letter, and from fourteen at the begin- 
ning as constituent member.-^, at the 
close of this pastorate the church re- 
ports a membershif) of seventy, and 
during this time a house of worship had 
lieen erected. It was a frame build- 
ing. 44 feet in length by 36 in width. 
It hfld galleries on both sides and in the 
rear end. There was a basement to 
this liuilding. and also quite a com 
manding steeple. It had fifty pews 
outside of the galleries, and would seat 
comfortably 300 people. Four large 
pillars supported and beautified the 
front, facing the 3a8t, or Center street. 
There had bfen vai-ions lots proposed 
beside the one selected and on which 
the Baptist church now stands One 
on Bridge street was first selected and 
Mr. Payne offered to give one on the 



north side of the river, but the present 
location was finally decided upon. The 
lot was bought of G. V. Sackett, the 
consideration was $200, but Mr. 
Sackett subscribed $200 on the church 
building, so virtuftlly the lot was his 
subscription t«) the church. The build- 
ing committee consisted of Messrs. 
Payne, Ingalls, and Noble. This 
building cost not far from $2,000. It 
was dedicated May 30, 1830, though 
services had been held sometime pre- 
vious to this in the basi'ment, doubtless 
during the entire winter of 1829 and 
1830. I"; was not deiftcated free of 
debt. It was a small indebtedness, 
only $300, but it became a sort of 
trouble and anxiety in after years. 
The seats were rented, the rents rang- 
ing from $3 to $15. This church ap- 
plied and was admitted into the On- 
tario Baptist association of churches in 
1829. The association then being 
wider in territory than at present had 
thirty hine churches with a member- 
ship of over 2,600. The Ontario asso- 
ciation of Baptist churches met with 
this church for the first time in 1831. 
As near as have been able to asceraaiu 
Mr. Ailcji's s'dary from the state con- 
vention was $50, from church $200, 
and the sec>nd year one hundred from 
the convention, the third year he had 
his fire wcod iu addition. There is 
mention of a Sunday school, but 
whether it was a permanent organiza- 
tion of the church, run the entire year 
is quite doubtful. We find that the 
church at the outset placed itself on 
record as a missionary church, and 
througij the years they have maintained 
in quite a marked degree this standard 
of a New Testament church. After 
the close of the pastorate of the Rev. 
Mr. Allen, the church seems to have 
been without a pastor, for several 
months; then the Rev. .John L. La- 
tham settled as pastor, but only re- 
mained about eight months. The next 
pastor was Henry C Vogoll. This 
pastorate began iu July 1833. It was 
ended February, 1836, lasting about 
two years and eight months. During 
this pastorate the growth of the church 
was quite marked, though by letter 
rather than by baptism, forty nine hav- 



u 



ing united by letter and sixteen by bap- 
tism, but we find that quite a nuir.ber 
were dismissed. During tiiis pastorate 
the discipline of th3 church was re- 
sorted to for the first time, and severnl 
excluded, so the net gain was rot large. 
We now for the first lime find positive 
proof from the r^icords that a Sunday 
school is sustained during the entire 
year, with an average attendance of 30, 
this year 36. The chui-oh tHporis over 
$100 as its benevolences. This same 
year plans were adopted and an effort 
made to pay off the mortgage indebt- 
endess on the church. It was nn tffort 
however, without reaching the desired 
results, for the mortgage debt was not 
canceled. These years 1835 '36, seiun 
to have been years of great aiiiuition 
concerning the temporal inlert-sts of 
the church. We find that during tb« se 
years the advisability of building a p!ir- 
sonage iB agitated, and it seeniud an as- 
sured thing at one time, thai a pars(!n. 
ao:e would be built, under a generous 
offer made by Abrahaoj Psiyne, who 
then owned the tract of laud through 
which Clinton street now runs. An 
agreement had been msda with the 
trustees of the church that he, Abra- 
ham Pajne, would build a subi^tantial 
frame house, costing $600, abovo this 
he wouM make all outside necessary 
improvements, properly grade the lot 
and then deed it to the society for $600 
the actual cost of the building, but a 
disparaging and somewhat bilker re- 
mark mK.de by the pastor, Mr. Vogell, 
broke the contract, and we repeat what 
the Rev. M Wright has well said, !:nd 
so by this act depriving the church of a 
good parsonage and possibly an advan- 
tageous location in later years for a 
house of worship. Saps Mr. Wright I 
have been unable to locate definitely 
just where this lot was situated between 
Fall street and the railroad, but be- 
lieve it to be the lot where the Wesley- 
an Methodist church now stands. The 
basement of the church was used for a 
time as a dwelling place, the tenant 
taking care of the church for the use of 
the basement. Earlier the basement 
had been used as a school mom, used 
by District No. 2, as it was then called. 
But during Mr. Vogell's pastorate it 



was fitted up for its legitimate use as a 
prayer and coyferonce room. Follow- 
ing Mr. Vogeli'd pMStorate was that of 
the llev. John Jeffreey, lasting about 
two years, and though there were quite 
a number of additions both by letier 
and bapti:^ras, the church but barely 
held her own, so many re^joviiig to 
other phuies. The church reporting at 
the close of this pastorate iu the fail of 
1838, only 78 meiub«ra. But about 
ttiis time Jacob Knapp, one of the most 
noted evangelists of ttiat day, cime to 
labor with the church. He was with 
the church aboui five weekg. I'ne en- 
tire community was stirred as it had 
never been stirred heforeupou ihequea 
tion of personal salvation. The con- 
gregations were so large that a scaf- 
folding was erected along the entire 
length of the south side of the church, 
some 20 feet wide. It was built on a 
level wiih thy base of the windows, the 
windows all taken out on that side of 
the church, that those on the outside 
might he able to hear, and so scores 
and hur.dreds night after night, listened 
to the great pre-^icber, eeated or stand- 
ing on the outside of the building. 
Nearly 200 conversions were reported, 
56 uniting with this church the last of 
September and 88 more before the close 
of the winter months, making 94 ad- 
ditions to the church by baptism. As 
the result of these meetings, the mem- 
bership was now more than doubled 
and that within a period of less than 
six months. The Sunday school re- 
ported the year before an average of 60 
It was in this winter of 1839, that Rev. 
Z^nus Freeman becomes p«stor of the 
church. He must have been a man 
possessed of great social gifts, as well 
as a true Christian. With some rich 
experiences, now in the very vigor of 
life, he served the church as pastor 
three years, coming as tie did in the 
midst of such wonderful and blessed 
ingatherings. Coming to a rejoicing 
and united people, we are not surprised 
to find his pastorate a prosperous and a 
happy one During this pastorate 115 
were added to the church by baptism 
and 60 united by letter, and the mem- 
bership reported to the association in 
1841 was 237, but the growth of the 



75 



Sunday school was more marked. la 
1839 reporting an nv^rag^H »tteiidance 
of 2U0, and in 18-40. Dearly 300, with 
two branch schools with an enrolloiont 
of 60 each. This indeed wms the gold- 
en period of Sunday Hchci work, at 
least as regarils uurahers, in the history 
thus far of this church, but sad to have 
to report that ttiese halcyon days were 
of short duration, for in 1841, the next 
year, we find a marked falling off, only 
one school is reported now and that 
with an avera ;e of oidy 200. During 
1839 and 1840 we are to d in tlie rec- 
ords, of the large attc'idance of the 
Sunday af'.ernoon convenant meetintrs, 
and that in tlie moutli of Aui^ust, 1840, 
120 were present, and during these 
years the benevolences of the church 
kept pace with their growth; $300 as 
benevolence, reported in 1839 and 
$418 15 in 1840, the largest amount 
ever given in one year for benevolence 
by the church. Bright record indeed. 
Would that we could have it without a 
cloud, even the bigness of a man's hand 
overshadowing this pastorate. But 
alas ! alas ! if we would be true to the 
historical setting of these three years, 
the records force us to believe that there 
was zeal at times, that was not accord- 
ing to knowledge. The home finarces 
of ihe church, during this, the most 
prosperous period of her history, were 
most fearfully and shamefully neglect- 
ed. It ever becomes the church as 
well as the individual, to be just before 
overgeuerous, that she may preserve 
her honor and integrity. It was dur- 
ing the pastorate that proceedings are 
commenced for the foreclosure of the 
$300 mortgage and unpaid interests 
amounting now to something over $400 
against the church. We are glad to 
find however, that the proceedings were 
stopped, the debt paid, one man, Geo. 
H. McClarv, paying $270 of this 
amount. During the three years of 
Mr. freeman's pastorate, special ser- 
vices were held each day by a noted 
evangelist. In 1840, evantreli.stic ser 
vices were conducted by Eider Sher- 
down, lasting Several weeks, when 
more than one hundred conversions 
were reported, about sixty uniting with 
the Baptist church ; and this year V. 



Sullivan, a sailor, was licensed by the 
churcli to preach the Gospel. After 
the pastorate of Ki v. Mr. Freeman, the 
church seems to have been without a 
paPtor for a few months. During this 
time a call was extended both to the 
Rev. I. S. Bdckus and N, Baker, but 
for some reason not stated m the rec- 
01 ds l:ioth declined to accept. A call is 
then extended to Rev. E. R. I'inney. 
It is acccepled and he remains as pas- 
tor of the church for about two years. 
The records show no advancement in 
church life, either in its temporal or 
spiritual welfare the first eighteen 
mouths. The discipline of the church 
is resorted too and durmg the first 
eighteen months, 100 are eitiier dis- 
missed by loiter, excluded or dropped, 
and less than two short years before 
reporting as benevolences upward of 
$400, now comparatively nothing. In 
1842, politics, and especially the ques- 
tion of slavery agitated the church, and 
an the month of July, 1842, a resolu- 
tion was passed by the church refusing 
to admit slave holders, or their en- 
lightened apologists, and sympathizers 
to their pulpit or their communion, and 
a little later a resolution is passed 
against the' use or traffic of intoxicat- 
ing liquors, and that unfermented wine 
ousy be used at the Communion. Early 
in the year 1843. the pastor, E. R. 
Pinny, with quite a number of the 
church, joined h'^artily in the belief and 
teaching, that the second coming of oar 
Lord would take place before the close 
of the year. Because of this belief and 
teaching, special meetings were begun 
early in this pear, with marked results, 
as far as additions are concerned equal- 
ing anything in the past, but this large- 
ly accounted for, without doubt, be- 
cause every sermon was now a most 
earnest effort to convince the hearer 
that Uhrist's second appoarin* , and 
that for the jucgment of the world, 
would take place before the close of 
the year 1843. During this year not 
far from 125 were baptized into the 
fellowsiiip of this church, and the 
church now reported the greatest num- 
ber that she has ever reported during 
her history, 242 raembt^rs. At a busi- 
ness meeting December, 1843, the 



76 



church voted to censure, and if need 
be, discipline any ctmrch member, wtio 
should be guilty of publishing among 
the uugodly and worldly the business 
transactions of the church meetings. 
Keen disappoiutmeut and the false po- 
sition held by Mr. Pinuey aud a large 
number of bis supporters, and which 
they had so persistautly advocated, 
when the year passed away and their 
teachings had been proven false by 
Christ not appearing, as they had so 
positively declared he would, Mr. 
Pinney did not re-canvass bis ground 
and come back to a sound Scriptural 
basis, or to loyalty to Baptist principles 
and teachings, or if having cbangsd his 
views so they no longer haraionized 
with those of the Baptist denomination, 
one of whose pulpits he occupied, he 
should have stepped down and out at 
once, but no, he remained until Sunday 
morning, February 24th, 1844, when 
culminated this errofieous teaching 
that had taken possession of the mind 
and heart of the pastor, and which the 
church had allowed to go on unchecked 
On this Sunday morning Mr. Pinney 
entered the Baptist pulpit for the last 
time, having handed in his resignation 
the day before to take effect on the fol- 
lowing day, Sunday. He preached a 
most egotistical and scathing sermon, 
hurling awful charges against the 
church, denouncing her as Bab) Ion, all 
Christian churches were placed to- 
gether. His text was R«v. 18:4, 
"And I heard another voice from heav- 
en saying. Come out of her my people, 
that ye be not partakers of her sins, 
and that ye receive not of her plagues," 
and then calling upon all who were de- 
sirous of escaping impending danger 
and coming plagues to follow him, he 
seized his bat, stepped down from the 
pulpit, leaving the church, for the 
churche's good, but not until he had 
done the church an irreparable damage. 
Fifty three members unwisely followed 
his example, influenced by his rash 
statements and went out with him like 
sheep without a shepherd, not knowing 
whither they went, and many others 
through the persuasion of Mr. Pinney 
and friends who had already gone out. 
left the church, and so not far from 80 



members withdrew from the church as 
the result of this movement on tht^ pai t 
of Mr. Pinney, and the church whs 
compelled to pass through the gnai- st 
trial of her history thus far, ami from 
which she has not yet fully reiovered. 
But lew churches could have borne 
such a trial and survived, as Mr. Fin- 
ney remained here untii bis death, moje 
than len years after, firm and unwav- 
ering in his new faith until the end, 
and seeking most earnestly at all times 
to lend as many of his former flock to 
ac^icpt his views as possible. After 
this dark page of the church history we 
find quite a long period, covering more 
than a year, when the records are si- 
lent as I'egards church life, and we 
almost wonder that the broken threads 
were ever again taken up and that the 
pulse life of the church should begin 
to beat; but in the iate summer of 
1845 a call is extended to the llev. N. 
Baker, who was the pastor of the 
Waterloo church, to become pastor of 
this church, preaching here in the after- 
noon. Three years before, when the 
church was in her glory and strength, 
for some reason the call then extended 
to him was refused ; but now when in 
her deepest humilation, few in numbers 
shorn of her strength, he accepts the 
call. The Waterloo church is soon 
given up and for nearly four years he 
serves this church as pastor. lie had 
very much to contend with, not only 
caused by the schism that had nearly 
wrecked the church, but also because 
of the bad management of the church 
finances. Two of the previous pastors 
had only been paid in part. A most 
faithful pastor, but with so much to 
contend with, but little advancement is 
made in the membership of the church, 
though much is done in bringing about 
abetter feeling and quickening the 
spiritual life of the church. The next 
pastorate is that of Rev. J. B. Burnett. 
He remained only a few months, and 
in May, 1849, Rev. H. H. Hsft is called. 
He begins his pastorate in June and re- 
mains until August, 1850— his pastor- 
ate lasting about four mouths. Noth- 
ing of great note is recorded during 
this short pastorate. And during the 
next two yaars, 1851-2, the records are 



77 



very meager, but enough is g-ivcn to 
know that during this time the church 
had at least two settled pastors, the 
Kev. Wm. Frary and the Kev. Win. 
Leggett. Two ware baptised into the 
church by each of the pasiors. The 
K'V. N. Baker tlien supplied the church 
for a time During this time the 
records were revised, and the member- 
ship now reported is 101. A eall was 
now extended to M, W. Holmes to be- 
come pastor, but for some reason not 
slated withdrawn, and Rev. J. R. Whit- 
man, who was living in the village and 
a member of the church, acted as a sup- 
ply for some months. In FeljruHjy. 
1854, Kev. J. V. Pitman became pastor 
of the church, continuing his pastorate 
a little over two years, and while the 
benevolences of the church were con- 
siderably increased and six baptized 
into the fellowship of the church, there 
seems to have been no net g«iu in the 
membership, but a loss during these 
years, as the church rt-ports in the fall 
of '56, a m<'mbership of but 90. In 
November, 1855, Rev. Ira Smith was 
called to the pasiorate of this chuureh. 
Of this pastorate, the KfeV Mr. Wright 
says of the first four months we find no 
record, nothing is said. We might wish 
we could find nothing afterwards; 
but not so. Gross charges of immor- 
ality are preferred against him. He 
is dismissed from the church. Going 
forth to make trouble elsewhere — set- 
tling in Kenosha, Wis , where he was 
excluded from the fellowship of the 
church and from the pastorate. Still 
downward, as ever must bo the course 
of any church with such a pastor and 
the church now reports only 80 mem- 
bers. Late in the yefir '57, C. C. Hart 
became pastor of the church, only to 
remain about eight monts. And in 
December '59 Rev William Rees ac 
cepts a call from the church to the 
pastorate. Tl)is pastorate lasted al.'out 
8 years and was without doubt a suc- 
cessful one. Harmony was established 
while more were added to the church 
than in the ten years preceding, and 
tne church now reports a membership 
of 116. And the bunday school has 
doubled since its last report, now report- 
ing in 1861, an average attendance of 



100. It is during this pastorate that a 
new church buiding is agitated, but it 
resuUed in repairing the old building 
at the cost of about $500. Rev. Ferris 
Scott wns the next pastor, nominally 
from April '62 until Juno '67, or for 
something over five years; but of this 
time he was away as chaplain in the 
army for better than two years, so that 
a little over three years of actual ser- 
vice was given to the church. And 
while thirty-one were baptized and 
uniied with the church there was no 
gain in number, but a net loss of six- 
teen, for after revising the records the 
church, in '66 reports but one hundred 
members. In the year '67 a committee 
was appointed to try and raise $1,500 
for the purpose of purchasing a parsou- 
fige, but the parsonage failed to mater- 
ialize; and the snme in regard to a 
commiitee appointed about the same 
time to see if a lot could be secured for 
the erection of a new church building. 
After Mr. Scotts resignation, in '67, a 
call wns given to two difierent men, 
but both refused to accept,, doubtless ou 
account of salary, though for the first 
time in the history of the church thus 
far, a Mr. Crane is called at a salary of 
$1,000. The church building was 
seemingly insured for the first time in 
1867. It was in the fall of '67 that 
Ira Bennett became pastor, his pastor- 
ate lasting about three years. It was 
during this pastorate that the present 
church building was erected. This 
building is about 45 feet in width and 
72 in length, exelusive of the tower, 
which adds an additional 14 feet. The 
corner stone was Inid in the summer of 
1858, and the dedication took place 
March 4th, 1869, W. H. Maynard 
preaching the dedicatory sermon. This 
house of worship, outside of the lot, 
cost about $12,000. About $9,000 
was raised by subscription and $3,000 
was secured by a mortgage loan. As 
we look back over this history and note 
the membtTship of the church, only 
about 100, it must have been a great 
undertaking, calling for faith and great 
sacrifice on the part of this people. We 
may be wrong, but we think a great 
mistake was made in this, that such a 
grand self-sacrificing effort made by 



tofC. 



78 



this people had not beea to the construc- 
ti'-'D of their church building ou the 
north side of tho river. As au item of 
interest, and cftusiug a>ore or less of 
speculation, rfVCiliug somewhat of hu 
man nature on at least two sides, we 
find that in the winter of 1869 the Rev. 
iVlr. Burnhaui, a noted evaugelisr, had 
be'ju holding exrra meetings for three 
or fcur nights v^-ith the expectation of 
continuing for two or three weeks at 
least, Tho house was already crowded 
and cou!*iderable interest manifested. 
When on this evening, the third or 
fourth in the series of meetings, an 
alarm of lire was sounded and quite a 
large number went oul, which was 
quite natural. Whereupon Mr. Burn- 
ham came down from the pulpii, re- 
fused to go on with the service, and 
early the next morning, notwithstand 
ing he was urj^cd to remain, left the 
village. The efi<ct can readily be im- 
agined. The opportunity w.-is lof4, and 
it was not only humiliating bu?. quite a 
set-back to the church. In October, 
1870. B. F. Garfield became pastor of 
the church. This pastorate lasted a 
little over two years During this pas- 
torate the house purchased in Bayard 
stie'^t at the time of the building of the 
church, three years before, was re- 
paired at au expense of about $250, 
and came into use as a parsonage. On 
October 1st, 1873, William R. Wright 
began his pastorate. At this time the 
church records were carefully revised 
and the church reports but sixty-nine 
members, while the indebtedness of 
the church at this time, all told, is re- 
ported as $4,675, somewhat of a dark 
outlook. The church is assisted two or 
three years by the state convention in 
the support of the pastor, the debt is 
d'.'creased somewhat and much good 
and lasting work accomplished during 
this pastorate. It wj'S the longest pas- 
torate of any within the history of the 
church up to this time — a little over 
five years. There were fifty nine addi 
tions by baptism. In 1874 the pastor 
was assisted in a series of meetings for 
several weeks by his uncle, the Rev. 
W. C. Wright, and as a result of these 
meetings thirty united with the church 
and in '76, twenty-seven as a result of 



the E. P. Hammond meetings. The 
memi<ership was doubled during this 
pastorale, reporting at its beginning 
sixty nine aud at its close one hundred 
and tluriy-oine men.bers. JJuring the 
yvar '76 the use of the bapistry is 
loaned to the Cougregationnlists. And 
this y(!/i,r, 1876, the church was reor- 
ganiz d under the new centennial trus 
tee law. In the baptisms of tho year 
one was baptized nearly eighty-eight 
years of age, without doubt the oldest 
person received by baptism during the 
entire history of the church. And this 
year, 1877, the church reports: Valu- 
ation of church property, $15,000 
mortgage debt, $1,000; floating debt, 
$2,000; enrolled in the Sunday school, 
168 ; church membership 121. In the 
year, 1878, the church votes to loan its 
baptismal robes to both the Presby- 
terian and Methodist societies. The 
mortagage bebt of $1,000 now coming 
due at the close of '77, and the church 
having a floating debt of $2,000, it is 
voted to mortgage the church property 
for $2,000, $1,000 to pay oft the old 
mortgage and $1,000 to pay on the 
floating debt. The choir about this 
time v/as moved from the gallery to its 
present position at the left of the pul- 
pit. There seems to have been a re- 
action set in, since the E. P. Ham- 
mond meetings for says, the letter of 
the church to the association, the»'e has 
not been in years so much world liness 
in the church as during the past winter. 
The prayer meetings of the church are 
poorly attended, the congregation small 
and the financial obligations against the 
church have increased somewhat The 
Rev. Mr. Wright resigns in November 
1878, and Rev. R- E. Williams is at 
once called to t!ie pastorate. He re- 
mained but six mouths. Of this short 
pastorate little is said. He was greatly 
admired as a preacher and as a cultured 
Christian gentleman. No additions 
are made to the church and the finan- 
cial obligations of the church continue 
to grow. On the first of January, 1880, 
the Rev. R. B. Montgomery became 
pastor of this church. His, too, was a 
short pastorate, lasting only thirteen 
months, but remarkable in this, that he 
succeeding in securing pledges at home 



79 



and abroad sufficient to meet tlie entire 
morlgHi^e det)t and inlereat. Antl for 
this he richly merited and rect'ived the 
heartfelt gratitude of the church and 
society, ;a vote to this eflect bein^^ 
VHCf'rdcd on the books uf the church 
In May, 1881, R*.v. John Gilchrist be- 
came pastor. Under this pastorate 
there was some friction in the chuich. 
It Jed to the excUisiou of one or more 
members and the withdrawal of several 
others. The pastor at once resigned, 
and closed another p-istorate of loss 
than two years. The church wfis tl\en 
supplied for n fe^v months by Rev. J. 
J. rhe!i)s. A call was given llcv. 
Seward Kobsou. Accepted and he be- 
came the pnstor of the church Decem- 
ber 1st, 1882 He remained as pnstor 
a little over four years. Thirty-uine 
were added to the church by baptism. 
During this pastorate, in 1885, the 
district secre'ary of the st;)te couvcntion 
Rev. Mr. Brooks, assisted the pustor 
in evangelist services ivr several weeks 
There hr.d been a continuous running 
behind in the pastor's oalary, and at 
the lime of his resignation the church 
was obligated to their pastor to the 
anioui't of over $750. In June the 
Rev. James Grant, a student in the 
Rochester seminary, is cilh/'d as a sop 
ply. This is the year '88. and on May 
Is't, 1889, the Rev. S. -T. White becomes 
pastor. Though but few conversions 
are reported aud something In bene- 
volences ouslde of the homo field, yet 
few the churches and few the pastors 
that made the sacrifices that this church 
must have made, and the pastor as 
well, to leave on record the fact that 
nearly $1,400 had been niised during 
the fir^t year of Mr. White's pHstorate, 
the Rev. Seward Robins'.n, the former 
pastor, paid in full, though the chun'h 
was owing him more than $400 when 
this pastorate began. And so at the 
assoclational gathering held in Septem- 
ber, 1890, the church reports that they 
are yjractically out of debt, but in their 
present condition, unable longer to 
meet the running expenses of the 
church, and appealing to the State and 
county missionary comtnittoes to know 
what can be dene. On March 27tb, 
1891, it was voted to have the secre- 



tary of the Baptist State convention 
visit the fiiild and hold a missionary 
coiiveution with this church. Such a 
cotivenlion was held and was thought 
to be of real |)rofit to the church. The 
Rev. S. 11. White's pastorate ended in 
July, 1891, he having been pastor of 
th« church a little over two years The 
Ciiunh w.is .".gain wi'hout a pastor and 
pre ichiiig was on'y snsliiued part of 
the time, and this by sup[;li'js. But on 
November 30ih, 1891, a meeting is 
called for the purpose of deciding upon 
ae.d c'llling a pastor, so advised by the 
Slate convention and the missionary 
commlctee of the O.itario B iptist as 
snciation. At this meetii'g it is de- 
cided to extend a call to the Rev. E. C. 
Long, tiieu of Mancliester, N. Y. Such 
a call is extended, but he d>'clines to 
accept. Another nieetin.'; is cnlh'd for 
January 12th to tnke under considera- 
tion the advisability of extending a 
call to Rev. J. Cody, and by a vote of 
the church it is decided not to extend 
thecal!. And on January 28. 1892, a 
ttiird and similar meeting is c'llled to 
take ii.to consideration the advisability 
of extending a call to the Rev. S. M. 
Nowlaud, then of Clifton Springs, N. 
Y A vote is tnkei!, and in the letter 
sent notifying him of the decision of 
the church, it was stated thil the vote 
was unanimous in extending sach a 
call, aud, whether wisely or unwisely, 
tiie present pastor of the church ac- 
cepted it, comoaencing his labors April 
1st, 1892. Of this pastorate we need 
to say little. It is not finished as yet 
But as it already covers a period of 
nearly twelve years, already more than 
double that of any other in the history 
of the church, and as it is a history of 
church life you have asked for in this 
paper, a brief summary of the present 
pastor's work with this church cannot 
be out of place. During these twelve 
years it h.<is not been all sunshine We 
have had some cloudy and dark days of 
d'.scourHgement; and yet on the whole 
it has been a happy, contented and we 
trust, in some smiU degree, a prosper- 
ous pastorate thus far. When this 
pastorate began the church records 
gave a membership of 110. The pres 
ont pastor has baptised into the church 



80 



014 108 333 8 i 



fellowship, 132 ; 70 have been re- 
ceived by letter. The r)rosent member- 
ship of the church is 238, the largest 
number, with the exception of the one 
year, 1843, ever reported by this 
churcn. lu briefly summing up the 
history of the First Baptist church of 
Seneca Frills, NY., beginning in 1828 
we find that the church has a history of 
seventy-five yenrs Twenty three past- 
ors The shortest pastorate was that 
of Rev, Mr. Williams, lasting only six 
months; the longest that of the present 
pastor, now nearly twelve years; the 
next longest, that of the Rev. Wm. R. 
Wright, a little over five years We 
give the names and length of each 
pastorate: 1, Orsamus Allen, 3 years 9 
nion'hs; 2. Henry C. Vogeil, 2 years 9 
mouths; 3, John Jeffres, 2 years; 4 
Zeuas Freeman, 3 years ; 5, E R. 
Pinney, 2 years 1 month; 6, Nathan 
Baker, 4 years; 7, W. H. Hafi, 1 year 
2 months; 8, Wm. Frary. 1 year ; 3, 
J. B. Pitman, 2 years; 10. Wm. Leg- 
gett 1 year 2 months; 11, Ira Smith, 8 
months; 12, C. C. Hart, 7 months: 13, 
Wm. Rees, 3 ytiars; 14, Ferris Scott, 5 
years 4 months: 15. Ira Bennett, 2 
years 10 months; 16. B. F. Garfi*^ld, 2 
years 3 months; 17. Wm. R. Wright, 
5 years 3 months; 18. R. E. Wililaras, 6 
months; 19, B. R. Montgomery. 1 
year; month 20, John Gilchristt, 1 



year 11 months; 21, Sewaid Robinson 
4 years 4 mouihs ; 22, S. H. White, 
2 years 3 months; 23. S M. Newland, 
11 years 9 mouths: yeai's of pastoral 
service. 64 years 8 months; average 2 
years 10 mouths. Nearly eleven years 
of its history the church has been with- 
out a regular pat'tor. Ther« has been 
been no uniform salary, and it has 
bet^n from $260 to $1,000. Not far 
from 700 persons have been baptised 
into the church during its history and 
about 400 have been rec(nved by letter. 
There were 14 constituent members, 
30 not far from 1,100 persons have 
been connected with this church during 
its history. The largest number, as 
already stated, in the membership of the 
church was at the close of 1843. when 
the church reported a membership of 
242; the smallest number since the 
first partorate, 69, in the year 1873. 
To-day the church reports 238 mem- 
bers, the Sunday school the largest 
since the ytar 1842, or within a period 
of more than sixty years; free from 
debt, not by any means satisfied or 
accomplishing what she should, but 
united and a measux'e of prosperity at- 
tending the efforts of paator and people, 
for which we give praise and thanks- 
giving to Almighty Gnd, who we be- 
lieve has led us thus far, and we look 
forward hopefully into the future. 



